The Dragon and the Snow
by Auburn Red
Summary: X-Over with Merlin. Queen Mab has returned and united the enemies of the 9 Kingdoms. Now, the heroes must unite with the heroes of Camelot with some unexpected allies or the kigdoms will suffer!
1. Default Chapter

The Dragon and the Snow  
By Auburn Red  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All characters from The 10th Kingdom belong to Hallmark Productions and of course the fairy tales from which they came. All characters from Merlin also belong to Hallmark Productions and the stories and legends of King Arthur. Everything is borrowed without permission and no profit is intended.  
  
Note: Before mass confusion arrives, I will give you an advance warning that I am using for the most part The 10th Kingdom and Merlin versions of the legends and fairy tales. I know that there are other versions that are just as good, Malary's, Grimm's, Anderson's, Perrault's, TH White, Mists of Avalon, Disney's and they are all good in their own ways.  
I will refer and use the occasional concept from other versions, but these two are the main ones.   
  
Chapter One: The Underworld  
And it feels and it feels like   
Heaven is so far way  
And it stings and it stings now  
The world has grown cold  
Now that you've gone away!  
~ From "Gone Away" by Offspring  
Some people believe that when magical creatures, such as fairies, elves, dragons, and witches are forgotten that they truly cease to exist, but the truth is nothing is ever really forgotten. They are just receded in the back of our minds as we move on into the future. Those things become nothing more than a story before bedtime, a childish fear, or a frightening thing in the closet. But these things still exist and just lie in wait hidden from the world around them waiting to come out.  
Queen Mab of the Sidhe opened her eyes and looked around her dark cave. Her eyes wandered through the dark recesses of her hidden chamber. She smiled an icy evil smile as she sat up her dark hair flowing down to her ankles. She glanced to her castle as it glowed once again waiting for its mistress' return. She laughed a throaty guttural laugh as she floated to her castle.   
"Once what was, will be again," she said in her low whispering voice. "But not here, yet."  
Mab floated to her Observing Ball and looked through. What she saw made her smile with delight. Through her glass she could see the Nine Kingdoms, magical kingdoms. Her eyes twisted in rapturous delight as the glass showed her images of happy people going about their lives. Soon that will all change, she thought, if I can get a hold of an old friend. Finally, the Observing Ball stopped at a swamp. The picture grew until she saw an image of a grave with a decomposing corpse. Mab laughed, well that vain bitch certainly got what she deserved by slipping up. But, she was always a helpful ally and someone she could trust. Mab then focused her hand on the Ball, then disappeared into a speck of light and fell from one dimension to the next. She smiled soon her plan would succeed. Of course she may have to run into Merlin and King Arthur, but if it works, they will all fail in the end.   
  
The Lady in the Lake floated through the water into the dark hole. As she floated she through the water, she felt the stench of sulphur overpower her. Her eyes wandered to the souls wandering and floating near her. Their eyes were vacant and hopeless as they wandered aimlessly and just moaned for a life that they couldn't even remember, and now knew no one can hear or even care about them. If she could feel anything, she would feel compassion and sympathy but instead moved towards the man she had to see.   
The Lady wandered into another level of Hell, this time to where the spirits were still being tortured. The dead screamed as they were being beaten, stabbed with pokers of fire, and tortured in unique ways such as tied to the ground while a drop of water took its time to fall to them or being forced to roll a big rock over by the hill.   
The Lady cleared her throat, she knew that she wasn't permitted to be in here for the most part. But, the King of the Underworld can be a reasonable fellow if he had a sacrifice or two. She came upon her target, a young man. His dark hair hung in unkempt tangles around his shoulders, and his pale face was bent in expressions of anger and rage. He was chained by heavy iron on his wrists and ankles. He snarled at his captors as though he were barely human himself. Two demons had just completed torturing him as they turned to try it again.   
"Now, do you like our deal?" one of the demons hissed at him.  
The young man smiled sarcastically. "How about I strike a deal with you instead? I give you the two-fingered salute," The Lady watched in wry amusement as he gave his captors the gesture that was considered vulgar by many Britons. "And you give me my water?"  
The demons were about to attack him again, when they saw the Lady behind them. They dropped their weapons and bowed, and then walked away.   
The young man looked in curiosity at his rescuer and turned in anger, his dark eyes almost red with rage.   
"Defiant to the last," The Lady observed in her bell-like voice. "I can see the centuries haven't changed you at all."   
The man still didn't speak as she tried again, this time addressing him by name. "Do you know who I am, Mordred?"  
King Arthur's illegitimate son faced the Lady squarely, but still refused to speak to her. "I am the Lady-"  
"-I know who you are," Mordred answered. "Auntie Mab's sister!" He spat at the name Mab. The Lady could see that he still carried plenty of hatred for those he used to know- Mab, Frick, Nimue, Merlin, Lancelot, Guenivere, his mother, Morgan Le Fey, and especially his father, Arthur.   
"You are filled with hatred," The Lady observed.   
Mordred sniffed contemptuously. "It's the only thing that has kept me sane in this damned place!" He moved his head around the Underworld. The Lady knew what he was talking about. A soul in the Underworld could only retain his or her memories for very long, before they become like the spirits she saw when she entered a mindless wandering vegetable. It wasn't easy to retain those memories, it took a very strong will she noted with a slight sense of pride. But it also did a lot of damage to the soul, because he became filled with hatred at the reasons he was down there, especially when his heart was full of hatred already.   
"Yes, and it is time for you to take your place once again in destiny," The Lady answered.  
"Wonderful since we saw what a smashing job that was the first time," Mordred snidely answered. Another torture in the Underworld was you were condemned to hear your name from the outside and the results weren't often pretty. Fallen heroes discovered that in a few centuries people spoke of them as villains. Suicides heard of themselves, as cowards. And for people like Mordred, well there were no limits to what people have said about him.   
"I am here to tell you that my sister has risen and regained her strength," The Lady answered.   
Mordred looked squarely at her. "And I should care about this because...?"   
"She will ally with the Dark Forces from other kingdoms and they will be unstoppable," the Lady responded.  
"And they're welcome to it, unless of course I am supposed to help them," Mordred answered. "Maybe I could conquer Camelot, though according to that offal Malary I already did. Funny, I wasn't there when it happened, but I'm sure it was splendid."  
The Lady continued as if uninterrupted. "You must go to the Fourth Kingdom and ally yourself with its heroes, soon the heroes from both your kingdom and theirs must be united to defeat this evil."  
Mordred scoffed. "Me? I'd rather stay here and be tortured. Why don't you get Arthur to do it, I'm sure you can bring him back as well."   
"That is part of the plan," The Lady answered. "You know that it has long been prophesized that your father would return when his people need him, well that time will be soon."   
"WHATT??" Mordred practically yelled. "I am supposed to not only ally myself with some do-gooders, but allow them to resurrect my father? Lest you forget, he is the reason that I am down here in the first place."  
"And lest you forget that you are the reason that he is awaiting his return," The Lady reminded him. "The choice is yours, for once."   
Mordred's eyes widened and he knew what she was referring to as he considered his option. On the one hand, he wasn't a hero like his Father/Uncle, and worst of all it would mean bringing him back to life and even worse of all he would no doubt face Arthur's pet wizard, Merlin. But on the other hand, he could take charge of his own life and not be a tool for anyone else. Or could he, in the final analysis it was still the same damn prophecy thing. When was he ever going to stop being brought up only to fulfill someone else's plan or prophecy? He looked around the Underworld and knew the answer, if he stayed here never. Besides, he wasn't a coward if he did see Arthur or Merlin he could always kill them.   
He looked at the Lady not wanting her to see him cave. "And if I refuse?" he asked.   
"Then those kingdoms will die from the dark forces," The Lady answered. "And you will remain here nothing more than a proven tool for my sister's prophecy."  
Mordred's mouth dropped open. The Lady of the Lake stole the words from his mind. He stood up as she magically undid his shackles. She knew what his answer would be.  
"Very well, I'll do it," he said.  
The Lady smiled. "Remember once done it cannot be undone," she said. Then she started chanting in Gaelic, the more she chanted a light swirled around them until it became gold surrounding them completely. Mordred looked around in confusion as the circle got dimmer and dimmer and the Lady's voice became fuzzier and fuzzier. He suddenly felt a sharp pain on his legs like someone was pulling him. He struggled to fight it, to stop it but it only made his body hurt more. He tried to avoid crying out, but finally he gave in and screamed as he fell into darkness. 


	2. Chapter Two: The Wandering Strangers

Chapter Two: The Wandering Strangers  
  
"Mother, Mother  
Tell your children that  
Their time has just begun  
I have suffered for my anger  
There are wars that can't be won."  
~ From "Keep the Faith" by Bon Jovi  
  
King Wendell White tossed the golden ball in his hand a few times and then tossed it to the hallway again. The Golden Retriever leaped once more into the air to catch the ball then ran back to the red-blond haired king with all of the energy of a puppy.  
"Good boy," Wendell said patting the dog on the back.  
Prince once again wailed at the window. He didn't really need to go out, but the dog just wanted to run into the woods like he did when he and Wendell went hunting.   
Wendell laughed, "Sorry boy, but I won't let you out in this weather. You could get lost again."   
Prince wailed slightly, but brightened up as he and Wendell continued the game. It was one of the few pleasures in the young king's life, playing games with his beloved dog. It was a nice stress reliever from all of the events and day-to-day pressures of being a king. And Happily Ever After knows that he sure needed it after the scare from last week.   
The golden doors burst opened and a middle- aged American man barged in.  
Wendell looked at his friend Tony Lewis facetiously. "Antony, I must have told you at least one hundred times, that you are to knock, announce yourself, and ask permission to come in before you enter my private rooms."   
Tony smiled and then went into a mock-bow. "A pox upon your highness make it 101." He then turned to the open door and knocked on it. "It's Tony, can I come in?"  
"Well, that's better," Wendell smirked. "You know I do believe that I get very little respect from you."   
"Now, that's not true," Tony objected. "You get no respect from me."   
Wendell couldn't help, but laugh. Tony was one of his best friends and could cheer him up whenever he was feeling low, plus in their own unique way he and his family provided a lot of support for Wendell, being his only real true friends in the kingdom.   
"So what are you doing in here so excited?" Wendell asked.   
"I just wanted to tell you, Virginia, Wolf, and the kids are here," Tony said excitedly.   
A happy grin spread across the king's face. "Fantastic, earlier than I expected."   
"Well, it's not like they have to go through customs in the mirror," Tony countered.   
Wendell, Prince, and Tony ran down to the main chambers and saw the family greeting them. They were greeted by a handsome dark haired man with yellow eyes and a ravenous look, a pretty young woman with brown hair down to her shoulders and wearing a peculiar Tenth Kingdom style clothing a short black skirt and black top that left her midriff showing (a fashion style that no woman in the 9 kingdoms would wear since it would be considered immodest) and two small three year old children, a boy and a girl. The girl had the same soft brown hair and friendly features of her mother and the boy had the dark hair and sharp features of his father, but they both inherited his wolfish eyes.   
"Uncle Wendell!" they ran up to him delighted and hugged him almost tackling the king down.   
"Hello Luna and Grayson," Wendell said delighted. They hugged a bit more.   
"Uncle Wendell where's Prince?" Luna asked.   
Wendell took on a playful gesture on his face. "Oh, I see I know who you like visiting here more than me. I know when I'm not wanted."   
The girl's large yellow eyes widened and her lips stuck out in a pout. Wendell laughed. "Just kidding, here boy!" He called to Prince. The children ran up to the dog and their grandfather delighted.   
Wendell took the opportunity to stand and greet Virginia and Wolf. He slapped Wolf on the back and they grasped hands in a hearty handshake then he embraced Virginia and kissed her on the cheek. "How are my stepsister and beast-in-law?" he asked.   
"Fine, great, we're both okay," Virginia and Wolf said, but something in their voices indicated the exact opposite. Wendell hoped there wasn't trouble in the marriage, but knew it wasn't the time to press the issue.   
"How are you?" Virginia asked. "Dad told us about last week." She nodded at her father who was taking turns swinging the two children up over his shoulder.   
Wendell sighed. "I wish he hadn't mentioned it," he said. He remembered for the last month that he had been plagued with nightmares and restlessness. It wouldn't have been a big deal, except that it had begun to affect his daily performance as king. He couldn't concentrate, he skipped meals, and often felt far apart from everyone else. Things finally came to a head, when last week he had fainted in his room and his servants had to put him back to bed. Of course he was fine within an hour, but he supposed Tony was still concerned.   
"Don't worry," Wendell said. "I'm fine. It isn't any trouble, and I haven't been ill since then. I'm okay." Virginia and Wolf nodded satisfied with the news for now.   
The family then sat down to drinks and caught up with the news of their daily lives. A knock at the door interrupted the laughing and talking wildly. "It's Lord Rupert, your majesty, may I come in?"  
"See how he does it?" Wendell teased Tony. "Come in." He called. The dark haired courtier entered the room.   
"I'm sorry to interrupt your majesty, but the servants found an unconscious man outside the castle. They think he wanted to get in," the lord said evenly.   
Wendell, Virginia, Tony, Wolf, Luna, and Gray opened the front door. True to Lord Rupert's words a young man was lying near the castle door. The rain fell on his face and black clothing. He breathed laboriously. He looked a mess.   
"Is he dead?" Gray asked standing behind his mother shyly.   
Wolf knelt down and sniffed the man. "Nope, he's still alive. No rigor mortis, no flesh falling out, no stench of being worm foo-."  
"WOLF!" the others said in unison.  
"Uh, I meant no, he's still alive," Wolf said.   
"He's not a beggar," Wendell said. "His clothes are too nice."  
"Is he hurt?" Virginia asked.   
Wolf then sniffed him up and down. "Bruises, probably been in a fight. Also, he's pretty tired."  
"Well, shouldn't you bring him in?" Virginia asked Wendell. "I mean you can't leave him out here in this."   
"Remember the last time, the people in this castle played Good Samaritan for someone in the rain?" Tony reminded them. No one needed him to continue. That person was Virginia's mother, Christine and later Wendell's stepmother and she poisoned Wendell's mother and father only to be imprisoned. She escaped later and tried to take over the 9 Kingdoms, but luckily Virginia and the others stopped her before she had completed the job.   
"True Antony," Wendell agreed. "But Castle White has always had an open door policy. Besides, I doubt he is in any condition to do us any harm." He called two of his servants over and to bring him inside so that he may sleep in his chambers.  
The servants had barely gotten him out of the main hall and up the stairs when Prince started barking and growling strangely.   
"What is it boy?" Wendell asked the dog.  
Suddenly, Wolf started up as well. He began howling and sniffing outside the castle.   
"Huff Puff, I felt it too!"   
"What is it, Wolf?" Virginia asked.   
"That!" Wolf pointed far from the castle. The rain had stopped, but a dark cloud hovered about 13 miles from the castle. The cloud swirled into a vortex as light tried to break through the cloud. The darkness overcame it, and swirled around. Lightening crashed through the ground and thunder rumbled.   
"That's the direction of the Swamp!" Wendell yelled. Suddenly they felt a strange feeling, an eerie feeling. Like when someone has just received terrible news, or right when they are facing their worst fear only it was ten times worse. It was not only bad, but it was painful. Tony leaned to the side of the building for support. Wolf and Prince continued to howl to get away from it, even Luna and Gray started picking it up. Virginia and Wendell doubled over in pain. They knew whatever feeling they had it, wasn't just bad, it was evil.  
Inside the castle, the servants who were holding the visitor struggled to hold onto him while they too fell over in pain, but only slightly managed to keep him from falling to the ground. The visitor woke up in sharp pain, looked around in horror, then only managed to fall back to sleep.   
The feeling wasn't just limited to the House of White either. In Snow White's icy chamber, she felt the cold feeling and shuddered. "Something isn't right," she muttered to herself.  
In the First Kingdom, Cinderella and her subjects felt it during one of her usual grand balls. All at once the music stopped and the dancers quit dancing and they fell over in unanimous pain.   
The trolls felt it as they were polishing their shoes. The force knocked them into each other and they got up fighting swearing that they had knocked each other down.   
The lovers in Kissing Town, the dwarves in the mines, the residents of Beantown and Peep's village, no where in the 9 Kingdoms was untouched by this feeling of fear and impending dread.   
It was even felt by three visitors who had set up camp on their way to Wendell's castle. The old man with the beard trailed down almost to the ground looked out where the storm came from as his two companions an elderly woman with white hair in a braid and a small white haired man with long ears and not-quite human eyes tried to calm the horse that was by their side.   
"Mab is here," Merlin informed his two companions, Nimue and Frick. "Come we have much to do, and not much time to do it in."   
  
Acorn the Dwarf munched hungrily on the eggs. The disturbing feeling was over and now he was famished. He helped himself to another egg when he felt a bang at the door. He saw a shadow through the window that almost made out the image of a woman. He slowly picked up his axe and crept outside. He opened the door, forgetting to ward the visitor off with his "Swamp Witch" routine. He slowly opened the door and glanced outside first holding his axe out the door then poked his head out. "Is anyone out there?" he called, but his voice echoed through the swamp. "Just look out, I am armed and dangerous." He said raising his axe, but he didn't get the chance to use it as the intruder knocked him out with a magic blast.   
Mab looked down at the dwarf that she had knocked out. "Insignificant fool!" she sighed. She then floated down to the basement of the dwarf's home to see the shriveled skeleton lying there.   
The voice from the skeleton cackled with her eerie voice. "Up the airy mountain down the rushing glen/We dare not go a hunting for fear of little men," she quoted. "Mab, it has truly been a long time."   
"Too long it seems, Hilda," Mab agreed. "I see you are doing rather well."   
"About as well as you, forgotten by the modern world," the former evil queen said.   
"At least I am not a rotting stinking corpse wallowing in the swamps," Mab countered, but realizing that this infighting would really get the two of them nowhere and they would never accomplish their goals. "How would you like me to restore your beauty and give you the chance to regain the throne to the House of White?"   
The queen cackled. " I would say what would be in it for you. What could the glorious Queen Mab want?"   
Mab chuckled innocently. "Oh nothing just to make sure that we lead the 9 Kingdoms into darkness so they can worship me alongside of you of course."   
"And this wouldn't have anything to do with the prophecy of Camelot would it?" Hilda inquired.   
"It has everything to do with it," Mab replied. "Would it satisfy you to regain the Fourth Kingdom?"  
"I have gone beyond that, my successor as weak and pathetic as she was had the right idea, I want the entire 9!," Hilda said.  
"Of course they are all yours," Mab said. "After all every spirit must have a human ruler to sway them."   
"What do I have to do?" Hilda asked.   
Mab grinned. "Just take out your hand." The skeletal hand jutted out. Mab put her hand on the decayed corpse and let the magic leave her hand on to the body. The body grew warm and regained flesh. Suddenly the entire body regained its life as the corpse became a woman once more instead of a dead body. The woman looked sat up and realized that not only was she brought back to life, but that she had regained her youth and beauty. No more was she a bent old pathetic woman. Instead she was a raven -haired statuesque beauty again. Even though she didn't have them with her, she couldn't resist asking, "Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest one of all?"   
"Time for that later," Mab said. "Now we must be off, King Wendell's men are bound to find us." Then the two women disappeared from the Swamp.   
  
Virginia woke from her reverie shaken and disturbed. She and Wolf were outside watching the children play with Prince and Tony while they were having some private time alone. She was safe in Wolf's arms when she woke up from the vision. "Virginia, what is it?" Wolf asked concerned as ever.   
"Nothing I just had a bad image," Virginia asked.   
"Was it about your mother again?" Wolf asked quietly. Virginia gulped. During the last month of her pregnancy before the twins were born, she had frequent dreams of her mother Christine, remembering the bad parts of her childhood the night she tried to kill her and then ran away. After Luna and Gray were born, she had stopped having them up until a few months ago. This time they were more frequent than ever and some of the worse nightmare she kept to herself.   
"Virginia, your mother is dead," Wolf told her. "She can't hurt you anymore."  
Virginia leaned against her husband for his strength and support. "I know, I should know that," she said. "But every once in awhile I feel like she is still watching me."   
"Is it being here?" Wolf asked. "Do you want to go home?"  
Virginia shook her head. "We just got here. I'll be alright."   
"I hope so," Wolf said lightly. "I would hate to tear apart anyone who tried to hurt you or the kids."   
Virginia laughed as they sat together on the bench.   
  
The residents of Wendell's castle were gathered in the throne room. They had received word that they were to be entertained by a traveling magician and his companions. It was always great fun when traveling entertainers came.   
"It must be our day for visitors," Wendell said to his friends. "Speaking of which, how is our other guest?"   
He asked the servant. "Still drifting in and out of consciousness your majesty," his servant answered. "Right now, he is asleep."   
"Well all the better for him then," Wendell said. "Let the entertainment begin."  
The door was then opened and in walked two men and a woman. The bearded man spoke first. "Your majesty, we have traveled long and far to entertain you and our only payment is sleep for the night."  
Wendell laughed. "The price I love, it is granted."   
The man then proceeded to astound them with magic tricks after tricks, and illusions such as making dragons appear and light stream from his hands. He even put his companions into the act, making the woman disappear and end up in the audience. The residents of Castle White applauded.  
The smaller man bowed as though he were in a stage show. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen we will be here all week!"  
"And they didn't even need a white tiger," Tony said amazed.   
When the show was over, Wendell applauded. "Well done sir, you have definitely earned your reward."   
The old man smiled. "There is one last trick to show you, your majesty. Actually, this one is real magic."   
Wendell waved his hand. "Proceed." The man then held out his hands and held each one over the woman and the other man's faces. Suddenly before their eyes, the three became younger in appearance. The woman's gray hair turned brown and regained a youthful face. The strange looking man's long hair disappeared, until he took on the appearance of a gnome and the lead magician's beard disappeared and his hair became brown. The three bowed and smiled.   
Wendell and the people applauded. "I must say, in lands where magic is commonplace that is astounding," Wendell said. "May I get the pleasure of your name?"  
"I thought you would never ask," he answered. "My name is Merlin."   
Tony, Virginia, and Wolf exchanged surprised glances between them. Tony held up his hand. "Wait a minute, you don't mean Merlin as in King Arthur, Camelot, and all of that stuff, do you?"  
Merlin nodded. "The very same."   
Wendell and his subjects looked confused and quizzically at each other. "Who?" Wendell asked. They shrugged.  
Merlin turned to his companions. "Well that was a bit ego-deflating." The other two laughed slightly.  
Tony's eyes widened. "You mean all of that stuff is real, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table thing?"  
"Dad," Virginia reminded him. "I am married to a half-wolf, we are standing in Snow White's castle and you are surprised that King Arthur was real?"  
"I presume you have heard of us," Merlin answered.   
Tony, Virginia, and Wolf nodded. "Movies, musicals," Tony said.  
"I had to read Morte D'Artur in high school," Virginia said.   
"I have heard Camelot is a very silly place," Wolf countered.  
The others looked at him. "He watched our Monty Python and the Holy Grail DVD," Virginia answered.   
Merlin smiled. "A funny man, Mr. Chapman," he said then turned to his friends. "This is my wife, Nimue and our friend, Frick."   
"Hello, how do you do?" Frick greeted the locals.  
Tony thought. "Nimue, Nimue. Ah yeah, the chick who trapped Merlin in the cave."  
Nimue's eyes flashed and she turned to Tony in anger. "How dare you say that-?"   
Merlin held his wife back. "It's alright he doesn't know how it really happened."   
Wendell clapped. "Well such distinguished guests deserve no more than our best dinner, would you like to join us?"   
"And we thought you would never ask," Frick answered.   
  
During the dinner, the guests and residents spoke excitedly. Frick glanced over his eyes at Luna and Gray watching him. He waved, but they held back slightly, then he stuck his tongue out at them playfully. Then he made their food dance on the table. The two kids burst into laughter.   
"Adorable children," Frick observed.  
"Thanks," Wolf and Virginia said in unison.   
Virginia then turned to Merlin. "Umm sir, Mr. Merlin wizard person, sir?"  
"Please just Merlin," he said.   
"Okay Merlin," she asked. "I don't mean to be rude, but umm how did you get here and wouldn't you be I don't know real-?"  
"Old," Merlin asked. "Yes, probably over 900 years by my estimation. Well, I suppose by the modern world we should be dead in our graves, but many years ago, the three of us found a strange portal that led us to this place and we have been here ever since."  
Frick nodded. "And the oddest thing is before we were in the real world, we had lost our magic well except Nimue who never had any, no offense I mean we are after all the Three Musketeers and all-."   
Nimue cleared her throat knowing that if Frick didn't get a warning he would talk forever. "Anyway when we arrived here we had regained our magic," he finished.   
"We have traveled in and out to the real world using a traveling mirror. But the last time we were going to go through, we learned that it had been lost to -"  
"-The sea," Virginia and Tony answered. The three looked at her quizzically. Virginia shrugged. "Well one was in Snow White's castle so you couldn't have used that one, the other was in her prison. So, I figured that the one you used must have been the one thrown in the sea bed."   
"Intelligent girl," Frick answered.   
"Uh, can I ask why?" Tony asked. "I mean why go in and out?"  
"Well, there were some things that are very dear to us that have been kept from us and we were looking for them," Nimue answered.   
"And to make sure no one we didn't want to find them did," Merlin added.  
"So why are you here suddenly in our lives?" Wendell asked curiously. "Does it have anything to do with what happened this morning?"   
The three nodded and Nimue spoke for them. "Have you ever heard of a woman called Queen Mab?" They shook their heads. "Or the Fairy Queen?"   
This time the blank recognition turned to nods as Nimue continued. "She is an evil woman."   
Merlin and Frick nodded in agreement. "I think she may have come to your kingdom. We are here to warn you that she could destroy you in any way possible."   
The dining room fell to silence as they comprehended the warning.   
Merlin turned to Wendell. "Your highness, this is desperately important were you visited by anyone else before we arrived?"   
Wendell turned to the others as they nodded. "Well, yes, if you must know this morning right before the disturbance in fact I provided shelter to a man."   
Merlin, Nimue, and Frick's faces fell as they exchanged anxious glances over something they knew. Frick was the first to speak. "And was this man by any chance youngish, dark haired, cold blue eyes, dark clothing, insane mad-at-the-world look."  
"That's the man," Wendell said.   
Suddenly a dagger emerged from one of the higher levels. The crowd gasped, but Merlin nonchalantly held it by the blade and tossed it away. "You can come down Mordred," he said. "I know that you are listening."   
Mordred then leaped down sword in hand to attack Merlin! He held his sword ready to strike at the wizard, but Merlin then held the sword back with his magic. This time he tried to attack him with his bare hands, but was held back by Wendell's guards.   
The diners stood up in the mass confusion. Some ran at the prospect of a battle, but Tony, Virginia, Wolf, Wendell and the kids stayed put.  
"Enough of this," Wendell commanded. They stopped and Wendell stood between Merlin and Mordred who was held by two guards. "What is the meaning of this? Who is this man?"   
"This is Mordred," Merlin said the young man's name in contempt. "King Arthur's son and the betrayer of Camelot!"   
"So nice to see you too, Merlin!" Mordred snapped back. "Will you tell these oxen to let go of me?" But despite his suggestion, Wendell told the guards to keep holding him.   
"Why are you here?" Merlin asked. "Were you sent by Mab?"  
"And why should I give you the satisfaction of my answer?" Mordred asked, but he answered anyway. "If you must know, no, that old hag doesn't give a damn about me any more than I do for her! As far as I know she doesn't even know I am here. It was her sister!"  
Merlin, Nimue, and Frick looked at each other. "The Lady of the Lake?" Nimue asked.   
Frick turned to him. "He's obviously lying!" He then turned to Wendell and the others. "You can't trust him, he will betray you like he has everyone else!"   
"Frick, you are as stupid as you are ugly," Mordred retorted. "If I were going to take this kingdom, do you really think that I would do it alone? I am only seeking asylum here, I only wish to sleep for the night."  
"Lier!" Frick told him. "Murderer!"  
"Really Uncle Frick, you flatter me," Mordred answered.   
"Go to Hell," Frick hissed at him  
"Too late," Mordred retorted.  
"ENOUGH!!!!" Wendell yelled loud enough for them to stop fighting. Merlin, Nimue, Frick, and Mordred looked down like children who were caught fighting.   
"Whatever quarrel you have with each other, will not be shed in my castle," Wendell commanded. "Do I make myself perfectly clear?"   
They turned away from each other. Merlin then turned to Merlin. "This is a warning, this man may destroy you. He has brought disaster before."   
Mordred smiled. "But on the other hand according to the law in Castle White, once a stranger is allowed in here he is under the king's protection, is that true your highness?"  
Wendell nodded. "It is true," he answered.   
"Unless the protection is removed by the king himself, so will you follow up to that and allow me under your protection. Or am I to be judged for a crime I did not commit?"  
They looked at Wendell in silence as he thought. "You are under my protection, your blood will not be shed tonight," he said. He turned to Merlin and his friends. "You are still welcome to stay for the night, if you choose to." He said.  
The three seemed to have a private conversation, but nodded. "That will be fine, your Majesty."   
Wendell whispered to one of his servants. "Make sure that they are on separate sides of the castle and I want Mordred's room to have two guards in front of it as well as the magic locks on all of the doors and windows." Things returned to slight normalcy as the diners retired for the night. Luna and Gray yawned and Wolf and Virginia went upstairs to put the children to bed. Mordred, Merlin, Nimue, and Frick continued to give each other wide berths at each other as they were separated into their rooms.   
Tony and Wendell were left behind. "What a night, hmm?"  
"Uh, Wendell do you think it's a bright idea to keep that guy in this castle? I mean he did try to stab one of your guests," Tony asked.   
Wendell shrugged. "I know but he is right, once in the castle he is under my protection. Besides, I have seen that man somewhere before. Those dreams you know the ones I had last week? He was in some of them."  
"What was he doing?" Tony asked.   
"I don't remember," Wendell said. "But something tells me that none of this is a coincidence."   
  
Merlin was about to retire for the night, when he saw a body sleeping on the bed. He tenderly lay next to it. "Asleep already?" he asked and uncovered the sheets to kiss his beloved wife but drew back in horror. "You," he hissed.  
Mab laughed. "Yes Merlin, missed me?" she teased.   
"Like the bubonic plague," he said dryly then tried to attack her with his magic.   
Mab laughed and disappeared. "Can't touch me! Can't touch me," she teased.   
"Wow, it is nice being in a place where magic is so potent, makes things a whole lot easier," Mab observed.   
"What do you want with these people?" Merlin asked. "I will not allow you to harm them in an attempt to get after me or Camelot!"  
Mab waved her hand. "Camelot is old news for now," she said. " I have no use for the mortal world. It seems that modern times, well you have seen it need I go on? But in this world, I don't think that they show signs of ever forgetting magic, or the Old Ways."   
"I crushed you once," Merlin threatened. "I will do it again."   
"That was luck, this time I am in the mood for something bigger," Mab said. She laughed her laugh as Merlin lunged to attack her.   
Merlin woke from his sleep with a start. Nimue woke next to him. "Merlin what is the matter?"  
"A nightmare," he said. "I hope,"   
Nimue bit her lip then looked outside at the moon through their window. "They are beautiful kingdoms aren't they?" she asked.   
Merlin nodded and held her closer. "Merlin," she asked. "Why didn't you tell Mab about Mordred?"  
Merlin looked at his wife quizzically. "You can read my mind now?" he asked.   
Nimue laughed. "I have been married to you to over eight centuries I think I know your dreams rather well by now."   
Merlin shrugged. "Because if he is telling the truth that the Lady of the Lake sent him and not Mab, then Mab really doesn't know he's here and for now it is better if she doesn't. Because if those two reunited, it could cause more trouble than they might be in."  
"As I recall the truth was never one of Mordred's strong suits," Nimue said.   
"No, he did," Merlin reminded her. "It was just a rather twisted version of the truth, and that sometimes was more dangerous than a lie."   
Nimue then looked again at her husband. "What else?"  
"Something Mab said," Merlin said. "About Camelot being old news for now. It seems like," then he knew. "Nimue do you remember what the people who wrote about us had often said of Arthur?"  
"That he would return in a time when he would be needed," Nimue said then their eyes met and they both knew exactly why they had been sent to Castle White! 


	3. Chapter Three: Armies of Darkness

Chapter Three: Armies of Darkness  
Cascading stars along the slumbering hills  
They are dancing as far as the sea  
Riding o'er the land you can feel it's gentle hand  
Leading onto its destiny  
~ From "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" by Loreena McKennit  
  
Mab waited while Hilda appeared. "What took you so long?" she asked harshly.  
"Sorry," Hilda answered. "Unlike some beings I refuse to name I have to walk!"   
"No matter," Mab said. "If you want to help, first we must take Castle White by force."  
"I prefer to do it by deception," Hilda remarked dryly.   
"We don't have time for you to dance around, with your preference to poison," Mab half-shouted. "And we don't need to bicker. I have a plan that can not fail."  
"And the plan?" Hilda asked.   
"Just step back and watch," Mab answered. Hilda obeyed and Mab raised her hand in the air and a swirl of magic surrounded her finger, then lightening smashed and cracked a whole through the mountain.   
Hilda looked interested at the open mountain. She knelt down and saw yellow eyes glaring at her and heard growls and snarls.   
"Welcome your army, Hilda," Mab said. "They are all yours talk to them."  
Hilda called down. "Hello, boys, hungry?" She could hear excited sounds like they were positive. "Want to seek revenge on those who put you here?" Again the positive sounds. "Then come with me to Castle White!" The sounds got louder as they approached the surface. Hilda and Mab smiled and shook hands appreciatively.   
  
Mordred sat up straight in his bed, at first confused where he was. His night had been restless, plagued with memories of the Underworld. He could see the demon's burning eyes glowering on him and feel their clawed hands grab him for their torture. He could still smell the sulfur and embers around him, like a fire that would never end and never be quenched. He could hear the screams of the dead who remembered and the moans of those who no longer chose too and remembered his vow not to be like the Forgotten Ones. The strain was unbearable, each day to remember his former life but he felt it was worth it, just to fight against his tormentors. He also remembered the whispers from Up Above. The whispers that entered his brain like a chant and didn't let go: "Evil Mordred", "Bastard Son", "Destroyer of the perfect kingdom," "Devil's spawn," on and on. They filled in and out of his mind, as he covered his ears begging for them to stop sometimes even clawing his own face, so they would go away.   
The young former knight looked around his room, it was all but a memory and now he was here in the 9 Kingdoms with Merlin, Nimue, and Frick and would eventually reunite with his father. He wasn't sure which punishment was worse.   
The door opened as a servant entered with a golden tray of food. "The king wishes you to have this meal, sir," he said. Under normal circumstances, Mordred would have insulted the man, or kicked him so the food would knock over, or performed the old "Fire an apple off of the servant's head" trick but right now Mordred was too confused to.   
The door opened as King Wendell stepped in. He was fully dressed in his white jacket and black trousers. He gave Mordred an imperious look then turned to his servant. "You may leave us," he said.   
The servant stammered frightened. "But sire he-"  
"I said you may go," Wendell told the man as the servant bowed and left leaving the king and the visitor alone.  
Wendell faced Mordred his arms crossed. "Well, are you not going to thank me for saving your life and defending you against your enemies?"  
Mordred faced the king just as squarely. "You know you are either a great warrior or a great fool to be alone in here with me, when I could take a weapon to you and be done in seconds."  
Wendell smiled as though Mordred were a precocious child. "Now, do you really think that I would be stupid enough to leave a weapon within your reach after your performance last night?"  
"You saw how I fired that dagger," Mordred answered.   
"I saw how Merlin caught it with his hand, yes, most impressive," Wendell answered his voice dripping with sarcasm. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mordred put his hands on the window as if to remove the bars. "And you can forget about escaping, this room is magically sealed. Only myself and certain membersof my staff are permitted to open it. It would be impossible to escape, though I almost wish you would. It has been a rather slow morning so far for my guards. "   
Mordred slumped down in bed. "What are you going to do to me?" he asked.   
"I don't know," Wendell answered. "I have not thought that far in advance yet. I may just let you leave, or I may let you rot in the Snow White Memorial Prison. But seeing as how you did nothing to myself or my kingdom personally, that I am aware of, I can not very well do that. Or perhaps if I am feeling rather vindictive, I may just have your little friends at you. They seemed delighted to see you." Mordred glared at the king as he continued. "What do they want with you and what have you done to have you regarded so highly in their eyes?"  
Mordred's mouth dropped open in mock surprise. "You mean you have never heard of Camelot, the perfect Kingdom or Arthur the Once and Future King?"  
Wendell caught the patronizing tone in the other man's voice, but chose not to dignify it with a come back. "Presume that I have not, and tell me what is going on," before Mordred could speak, Wendell raised his hand. "And before you getting into a long dull history lesson, skip to your involvement."  
The dark haired traitor nodded. "I'm his son, that's how."   
Wendell waved his hand. "And his heir I presume."   
Mordred shook his head. "Not quite, I'm his illegitimate son, you see my mother and father shared many things in common the same height, the same eye color, the same taste in books, music, wines. Oh yes, and they shared one other thing, a mother!"   
It took a minute for the revelation to sink in, but when it did it sunk hard like a ship caught in an iceberg. "You mean your parents were brother and sister?"   
Mordred smiled, getting a malicious delight in the shocked expression on Wendell's face. "Oh that must be it, I wondered why family gatherings were so small! What you mean that doesn't happen here?"  
"No!" Wendell said. "Once in awhile a first cousin, and I have heard in the days before Happily Ever After, a couple of fathers tried to wed their daughters but the girls escaped and the fathers were justly punished."   
"Well to make a long story short, I was basically brought into this world to take my father out of it, I succeeded but unfortunately, so did he," Mordred answered bitterly.   
This time Wendell's shock was lessened. This young man was certainly full of surprises. "So your-"  
Mordred smiled, he enjoyed the effect this conversation was having on Wendell. This king wasn't an annoying do-gooder like his father. He was pompous and obnoxious. Unfortunately, he wasn't naive, he didn't trust Mordred that's for sure. Mordred grinned and answered the question. "Yes, I am supposed to be dead, pushing up daisies, shuffling off the mortal coil, feeding worms, becoming fertilizer, going up the rung to join the choir invisible. In short becoming an ex-Mordred! But, I have been brought to life to this silly little kingdom, to involve myself in your silly little lives!"  
Wendell's eyes narrowed. "You know I am sure you would love to try to find your way through my 'silly little kingdom' but oh that's right, you just got here so you would get hopelessly lost! For now, you will remain here," he said. "A servant will be by later today if you wish to wander around. Good day."   
Mordred snarled at the king as he closed the door. He picked up a trinket and threw it at the closed door. The trinket crashed and broke on the floor. Mordred laughed haughtily, then picked up his fork to take a bite from the breakfast that had been made for him. Despite himself, he couldn't help but think that it was delicious.   
  
Vriginia skipped into the bathroom excited about her nightly bath time ritual with her mother. Her mother's back was turned as she turned off the nozzles. "Boo," Virginia teased.  
Christine jumped and then faced her daughter. "Virginia, don't scare me like that!" she demanded.   
"Sorry Mom," Virginia answered, her lip quivering.   
"Well don't just stand there take your robe off," Christine demanded. Virginia then took off her robe and jumped into the bathtub. Christine began scrubbing her daughter's arms. She scrubbed her so furiously that Virginia squealed in pain, but her mother paid no heed. Instead she scrubbed her stomach, back, and neck in the same way.  
"Now Virginia dunk your head in the water, so I can wash your hair," Christine said, her voice barely heard above the little girl's laughter.   
"Okay Mom," she said, then reclined in the water, so her hair was right in and her head on top of the water. She felt her mother's hands touch her body, then they gained more force as t hey pushed her down into the water. Virginia could barely make out her mother's image above the ripples in the water.   
Suddenly, Virginia could no longer see her mother through the water, in fact she wasn't in the water. Instead, she was sitting at the edge of the tub. This time her hands were on a little girl, Virginia gasped realizing the little girl was Luna!  
"Virginia," Wolf's voice called from the living room. Virginia looked up in fear. He must never know what she tried to do.   
A tap on her shoulder woke Virginia from the memory of her dream. She jumped in fright and then turned to see her stepbrother Wendell, with an amused expression on his face. "Don't scare me like that," she said.   
"Sorry," Wendell answered. "It was too tempting. Where are the others?"  
Virginia rubbed her eyes adjusting to be awake. "Oh, Dad and the kids are still asleep and Wolf ran into Frick this morning, and they got into a conversation but I haven't seen either of them since."   
"Alone at last," Wendell teased, but then looked serious. "Virginia, what is it? When you and the others arrived, I couldn't help, but feel that there was some tension with you earlier, is something wrong between you and Wolf?"  
Virginia rolled her eyes. "Can't I breath without one of you three asking what's wrong? I'm fine okay?"  
Wendell blinked. "I am dreadfully sorry, Virginia. I was just concerned."   
Virginia sighed. "I know, and it's all right. I'm sorry, I know you guys worry about me."   
Between her husband, father, and stepbrother Virginia often felt a bit overprotected. Tony, Wolf, and Wendell were wonderful guys and she loved them all dearly, and she knew they were looking at for her best interests. But jeez, it got old.   
"Wolf and Antony already spoke with you?" Wendell guessed.  
Virginia shook her head. "Just dad, last night. And to answer your question, I'm all right. I was just thinking about last night and I had a little trouble sleeping that's all."   
"Well, I know a few fairies who can take care of that," Wendell suggested.  
"Thanks but no thanks," Virginia laughed. "I'd rather the cure for a few restless nights not be one hundred years of sleep."   
The two stepsiblings laughed as they caught sight of Frick and Wolf running from the second floor all the way down the stairs. Frick was the first to reach the table and tapped it triumphantly. "Time, I win!" he said. "I don't have to remove it."   
Wolf then followed the little gnome wearing a black spiked dog collar around his neck. Virginia and Wendell stared at the collar at first too stunned, but then burst out laughing.   
"Wolf, I presume you have a story to go with this, um, lovely accessory and if it involves you and Virginia keep it to yourselves."  
"Nothing, I've ever seen," Virginia said between gasps of laughter.  
Wolf glared at Frick. "Tell them," he said.   
Frick bowed grandly. "Just that first, this wolf besmirched my honor, besmirched it I tell you, he called me a goblin! A goblin, can you believe that when it is plain to see that I am a gnome! Then, he told me he wondered what gnome meat tasted like. I had to domesticate him, before he tried to eat me!"  
Wolf looked pained. "Merely a passing thought, a wondering fancy. I would never dream of actually eating you! It's just one of the great ponderings of life to wonder such things that you are unaware of."  
"Be that as it may," Frick said testily. "I would rather one of those ponderings not be the taste of my flesh."   
Wendell held up his hand. "Before you two talk us all to death, Wolf you really are not going to eat Frick are you?"  
"Of course not," Wolf said.   
"And Frick will you please remove the collar from Wolf's neck and stop pestering him!" the king demanded.  
"Okaay," Frick said like a spoiled child getting punished. He then wiggled his fingers near the collar as it disappeared. Though he couldn't resist. He patted Wolf on the head. "Good doggy, good doggy," he said.   
Wolf then glared at Frick, his eyes turning yellow. The gnome drew back and then leaned up to Merlin and Nimue who had just arrived. "Merlin, the scary half-man half-dog is frightening me!"  
"Frick, how many times have I told you not to play with the scary half-man half-dog?" Merlin answered without even looking in his friend's direction.  
Tony ambled downstairs followed by Luna and Gray. They ran past the visitors and hugged their father, then their uncle and grandfather, then their mother. There was a difficult moment as Virginia looked down at her daughter recalling the dream. But instead she smiled, leaned over, and embraced her two children tightly.   
Merlin, Nimue, and Frick exchanged amused and delighted smiles at the scene, but Merlin's face quickly became more downcast and he turned to Wendell. "Your majesty, Nimue and I have news of the utmost urgency."   
Wendell nodded. "Proceed," he commanded.   
Before Merlin could continue, the dining room door opened and Mordred entered. There was a deep silence as he arrived and sat down, giving Merlin, Nimue, and Frick withering glances that they returned.   
"Does he always bring down festivities like this?" Wolf whispered to Frick.  
"All the time," Frick answered knowingly.   
Without missing a beat, Wendell turned to Merlin. "What did you wish to tell me?"   
Merlin nodded, but sort of nodded towards Mordred. "I would prefer to discuss this in private, your Majesty."   
Mordred took on a pained long- suffering expression. "Oh Merlin, what's the matter? Kicking me out of your secret club? If it has anything to do with resurrecting my father, then I know all about it! The Lady of the Lake already told me, but I don't know where he is anymore than you do."   
Merlin looked straight at Mordred. It was hard to tell whether he believed him or not, but he still sat down without comment. "Sire, as much as I hate to say this Mordred is right. I have received word, never mind from whom, that you are in great danger and so are we."   
"But what does resurrecting your king have to do with us?" Wendell asked.   
"It might be everything, an enemy of ours wishes to overpower your kingdoms," Merlin answered.   
Wendell laughed gaily. "Well he or she would have a hard time of it, the 9 Kingdoms are large and powerful, no one would dare try to conquer them all."  
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Wendell," Virginia reminded him. "Remember, my - someone else almost succeeded."   
Wendell shrugged. "True, but it would take a very large army or great power of such magnitude-"  
"-Your higness!" a servant ran into the dining room. He bowed and Wendell waved for him to continue. "Trolls are approaching the castle!"   
"-It will take something like that," Wendell said dryly, but then the news affected him. "WHATTTT!!!"   
The servant nodded as Wendell looked around his face frozen in panic. "Well, what are you all standing around here for? Get my men ready! Sound the alarm! All who are able be prepared to fight, all that are not, take shelter under the castle!" He was ready to arm himself when the servant held his arm.   
"That is not the worst of it, Sire," the servant answered.   
Wendell suddenly looked very weary. "What can be worse than that?"   
"Our men have searched and we believe that the Wicked Queen is back," the servant answered plainly.  
Instantly, Wendell looked at Virginia, who looked pale, terrified, and beyond shocked. Wolf patted his wife's hand. Wendell spoke for them. "But the Wicked Queen is dead, that would be impossible."  
The servant shook his head. "Not your stepmother, sire. The Wicked Queen," The way he said "the wicked queen's" name gave no doubt who she was. But Wendell spoke for them "The Swamp Witch!"  
The servant nodded. "We found the dwarf who owns the house above her grave, unconscious. We were able to wake him up, but her grave was completely empty."   
The residents all exchanged worried glances, then jumped up from the table eager to help their king or hide. Everyone ran from the room except Mordred and Frick who trailed behind.   
Frick waited until all of the others had left, before he grabbed Mordred by the neck and pinned him to a wall. He hissed. "Listen, I don't care who sent you or why you are here, but I don't trust you at all! To me, you are still the same bastard, and if you do anything to harm Merlin or Nimue, so help me- well, there won't be a punishment invented that seems fitting for what I will do to you."  
Mordred calmly relieved himself from the gnome's grasp. "You forget yourself, Uncle Frick. I do not ask for your opinion, or your approval." He then walked away, leaving the gnome trailing behind the others.  
  
The bells rang through the area around Snow White's Castle loud and clear. They hadn't rung in centuries, but everyone knew they meant disaster. Men, Women, and children headed for shelter, or their homes, or the castle to await further instructions.   
Wendell stood at an observing tower with Merlin, Nimue, Tony, Virginia, Wolf, Frick, Luna, Gray, and Mordred standing by his side. They all looked as serious and as nervous as he felt with good reason. Lines of large ugly creatures with burning yellow eyes were approaching the castle.   
Wendell turned to his people and made the announcement short and brief. "All who are able to fight with me, All who feel the need to hide may do so under the castle. There is no shame in admitting weaknesses. Everyone may go in an orderly fashion!" Despite, Wendell's last words, the castle was in udder chaos as the people scrambled to their positions.   
"Any advice?" Wolf asked.   
Wendell nodded. "Don't get killed." He then turned to Virginia and Wolf. "Are you two joining the fighting?" They both nodded as he continued. "If for some reason, I don't make it or we lose this battle, I want you to take everyone to Cinderella's castle in the First Kingdom. The statutes against my ruling only lasted during my regency, but I'm not sure how safe everyone will be here. Cinderella's would be the best place to go." Wolf and Virginia nodded.   
"Mama, I want to stay here with you," Gray begged as he hugged his mother and father good-bye.   
"I know, but you'll be much safer under the castle," Virginia said. Luna sniffed and couldn't say anything.   
"I'll take them," Nimue offered. Virginia and Wolf nodded thanks as she took the two kids by the hands and began to lead people down to the tunnels below. Before she left, Merlin blocked her path and held her. "Be careful," she whispered to her husband, not wanting to show any emotions.   
The wizard kissed his wife on the lips and whispered in her ear. "Nimue," he said softly, but he couldn't find any other words and besides now wasn't the time for such platitudes. "Go!" he said as she and the other people ran underground.   
Wendell watched his army approach, as Frick, Merlin, Virginia, and Wolf stood in line with them. Mordred straggled a bit as if indecisive, but finally took his place in line. Tony approached the king. "With all due respect, your highness I would like to fight with the others."  
Wendell smiled a touched smile. "I thought that you might Antony." He said as the American man joined the other soldiers.   
The trolls approached as Wendell and his soldiers stood atop the battlements of Castle White. When they were in position, Wendell raised his sword in the air and lowered it, "Attack now!" he commanded. From the corner of his eye, he can see the lead troll make the same gesture.   
Arrows and weapons flew through the air and landing on targets. Screams sounded throughout the battlefields, of trolls and humans on both sides.   
"I don't understand," Virginia said. "I thought trolls were dumb!"   
"Some are like our friends," Wolf answered. "But these are mountain trolls, They may be dumb, but they are mean and relentless. They are worse than Relish's group."  
"Gee, ya think?" Virginia answered sarcastically pointing at the approaching army.   
The trolls fired another group of arrows as the Fourth Kingdom residents ducked behind the walls. Wendell casually poked his head to get a good look.   
"They're coming up, quickly everyone separate," he commanded. The gang all separated to fight the approaching army.   
Wendell lunged at trolls with all of his might, killing a couple with his sword.   
"Your highness," Lord Rupert called to get his attention. Wendell and the troll turned around, but before Wendell could strike, the troll sliced his sword straight through the courtier's stomach.   
"No!" Wendell yelled, then he ran to his courtier and sat by his side. "Lord Rupert, you are going to be all right."  
Lord Rupert nodded. "Red isn't my best color," he joked weakly, then he became uncharacteristically serious. "Your highness, it has been a pleasure serving you."  
Wendell smiled, not wanting to cry. "Don't talk, then." Rupert then closed his eyes. Wendell felt his lip quiver and a lump in his throat form. Ever since his parents died, his advisors, Giles, Lansky, Griswold, and Rupert were like family to him. And now one by one, they were all dead. Wendell looked up at the troll with fire in his eyes and then stood up and rammed his sword into the troll. With a bloodcurdling scream the troll fell to the ground.   
He ran fighting the trolls along the way. He ended up next to Mordred, who fought off the adversaries with the style of a berzerker. He attacked and lunged, and seemed to hack away at the beast like a thing gone mad, like a man possessed.   
Wendell watched for a second, then returned to fighting his own adversaries. He was so caught up in fighting one troll, that he didn't notice another one behind him, until it clubbed him on the side and knocked him out.   
From the corner of his eye, Mordred saw the king being carried away, then he turned back to the troll to kill them, but then he became surrounded by four trolls. Mordred stuck out his sword to attack, but felt darkness from under him.   
  
Wolf attacked the trolls like an animal. They lunged for him, he clawed at them with his weapons. He howled triumphantly, when he heard a yell," Down boy!" Wolf turned to see Frick with a bow and arrow, and he could smell a troll behind him. The half-wolf ducked as Frick's arrow hit the target. Wolf looked up, "Thanks," he said, but then saw a beast behind Frick. "Goblin!" He yelled.  
"For the last time-," Frick hollered, but then he ducked to avoid Wolf's aiming sword. After the sword hit the troll, Frick stood up. "-I'm a gnome!" he continued.   
  
Virginia looked up from her post. She tried to attack the beasts, but they were too overwhelming. The trolls seemed to come from the right, the left, and everywhere she could hear shouts, clashes, and screams. It was too overpowering! She wanted to run, but she kept firing and killing some. She could tell that the battle would be lost, but they couldn't just leave, that much she knew. She saw Merlin and Tony fight off a few trolls and had a plan. "Merlin!" she called. "Can you create a diversion?"   
Merlin was in the middle of hitting a troll with his staff, when he called back. "What kind of diversion?" he asked.   
"A defending army?" the girl asked.  
Merlin nodded. "Stand back, and let me work," he replied. He then raised his hand in the air and circled it twice. Suddenly, a horn was heard from the ground and an army of knights dressed in white armor rode to the battlements. The knights climbed the ropes and started fighting at the trolls. "Not bad," Virginia marveled. "Do you think it will hold?"   
Merlin shrugged. "One can only hope." Virginia then saw, Wolf and whistled for him to approach her.   
"Time for Plan B," she said.   
Wolf looked around, "Are you sure?"   
Virginia nodded and Merlin spoke. "We live to run away, we live to fight another day." They then called all of the soldiers near to them and told them to sneak out from under the castle as the trolls fought the imaginary army.   
  
Under the castle, some women and children were listening to the commotion from upstairs each terrified of the sounds that they could hear. Luna and Gray sat near Nimue.   
"I'm scared," Luna said.  
"I'm not," Gray answered, but his voice betrayed his real feelings.   
"It will be all right," Nimue whispered as she held the two children close. Please let it be all right, she thought.   
Suddenly, the iron door opened and the soldiers walked in. Those that hid ran up to their husbands, children, or wives delighted. Nimue at first couldn't find them, but then saw Merlin and Frick in the crowd.   
Luna and Gray also caught sight of their mother and father. "Mommy!" "Daddy"! they yelled running ahead of Nimue. They hugged their parents as Nimue hugged her friend and husband.   
"What happened?" Nimue asked.   
"Change of plans," Merlin answered. "We're all leaving."   
Nimue looked curious, but then got in line as Virginia and Wolf stood at the head.   
Wolf held up his hand for silence. "Okay, Wendell left us in charge in case anything happened to him, so we're going to have to get out of here!"  
"But where is the king?" a woman asked.  
"Yes, and where are we going," a man asked.  
"We don't know, where the king is," Virginia answered her voice quivering. "He might have been taken by the trolls. We know he wasn't- he's alive, I'm sure of it. And he told us to lead you to Cinderella's castle. So, everyone move on, take only what you can carry! Families stay together!" As Virginia and Wolf gave the orders, the people all lined up and left the underground lair into the early morning, to take the long journey to safety. 


	4. Chapter Four: The Warriors Divide

The Dragon and The Snow Chapter Four: The Warriors Divide  
  
"Rain, rain on my face  
  
Hasn't stopped raining for days  
  
My world is a flood  
  
Slowly I've become one with the mud!"   
  
        ~ From "Flood" by Jars of Clay  
  
        "Wendell, Wendell," King Wendell heard the soft voice calling to him as if from far away. He opened his eyes to see nothing but pure white in front of him. He could see the face of a beautiful dark haired woman in front of him, a loving face he knew but hadn't seen since he was seven years old!  
  
        "Grandmother," Wendell gasped. "Is all lost?"  
  
        "No, Wendell but you must ally with these visitors and go to the 2nd Kingdom to meet the Baba Yagga, all of your fates depend on it. She will help you find the sleeping king," Snow White kissed her grandson on the forehead and seemed to fade away.  
  
"Grandmother," Wendell called.   
  
Suddenly Wendell could hear another voice calling out to him. "Wendell, Wendell, hey turkey, wake up! Boy, for a king you sleep in a class by yourself." Wendell felt a sharp pain as he returned to reality. Now that he had awakened from his reverie, he could see that he was being dragged inside some sort of carriage with his arms tied, but his feet untied but rigid leaning against the door. He looked at the other person behind him, Mordred! He too was tied by the wrists and also leaning against the door by his feet.   
  
"How long have I been out?" Wendell asked.   
  
"I don't know, I just woke up myself not five minutes ago," the other man answered.   
  
"Where are we?" Wendell asked.   
  
"We are both in a carriage being carried by those trolls that is the extent of my knowledge," Mordred replied.   
  
Suddenly, Wendell remembered his dream. "I was told to go to-"  
  
"-the Second Kingdom to meet someone named Baba Yagga, I know I had the same dream," Mordred answered.   
  
"My grandmother, Snow White, spoke to you?" Wendell asked.   
  
Mordred looked puzzled. " Who? No, I mean the Lady of the Lake told me that."   
  
"I don't have time to follow nonsense riddles," Wendell replied. "I have to return to my kingdom!"  
  
"Not like this you're not," Mordred reminded him. He then nodded at the driver's seat. Wendell could see the back of a troll whipping the horse as they rode along. The cart bumped with each rock. Wendell considered what to do as his feet kicked the door with each jolt. Suddenly, his eyes met Mordred's and he nodded at the cart door. Mordred nodded catching the hint. The two slightly pulled their feet up and counted down. "Three..two..one!", they said. On one, they both kicked the doorway large enough that it fell open. Mordred leaped out of the carriage followed by Wendell and the two ran far from the carriage and its contents that spilled out to the ground.   
  
        Mordred was able to wiggle his sword from its scabbard and undo both his and Wendell's bonds. He then grabbed Wendell from behind and held his arm back at sword point. "What the Devil are you doing?" Wendell asked.   
  
"I told you all I had to do was take a sword to you and I would be done with you in seconds," he said.   
  
"So you aren't going to help us in anyway," Wendell said. "My kingdom means nothing to you!"   
  
"That's a really stupid remark, but then its from a very stupid man," Mordred said. "Well maybe not nothing, after all it could be my reward!"   
  
"What are you going to do to me?," Wendell gasped.   
  
"With you, I think I'll just kill you and leave you to the wolves!," Mordred jeered. He heard Wendell's quick breathing and laughed at how quickly he was able to overpower him. "What nothing now with no armies to protect you? I must admit there is no challenge in battling an unarmed man, especially one as weak and pathetic as you are!"  
  
"True," Wendell said. "But who says I'm unarmed?" Before Mordred could react. Wendell kicked his assailant from the back of his boot. Mordred let the King go in pain and Wendell pushed his arm to knock the sword out of Mordred's hand. Before Mordred could pick up his weapon, Wendell pulled out his own sword and held him at sword point by the neck. " Rule Number One, my father taught me, always call your opponents bluff! Now who's the stupid one?" he asked.   
  
"You are," Mordred said using his legs to push the sword away from his neck. He was about to leave or grab his sword and run towards the king when Wendell heard something. He motioned for him to hear. It was a loud drumming sound. "The Mountain trolls," he said as he could hear the pounding getting louder. "They are onto our escape! Come on!" When Mordred made no motion to move. Wendell ran faster. "How are you going to enjoy your reward when you're dead? Do you know what the Mountain Trolls love to do to their victims if they are caught? They murder them, skin them, then eat their flesh and organs, and then if the victim is fortunate enough they will do it in that order!"   
  
Without another word, Mordred ran after Wendell from the direction of the drumming. Not wanting to look behind him, Wendell's hunter instincts could tell that the creatures were in the horizon and with their good eyesight could probably already see the two running for their lives. Outrunning them would never work, and he knew there were way too many to consider fighting. He had to outsmart them. Before his eyes, he saw a bridge. He grabbed Mordred's hand and headed for it. "Mountain Trolls hate water, they are afraid of it! The bridge!" He yelled. Without waiting to be told twice, Mordred followed the king as the two ran for a wood bridge. "Get under!" Wendell commanded and the two ran along the creek slapping the ankle-deep water under them. They crawled under the bridge completely hidden from view. Mordred and Wendell waited a few terrifying tense minutes listening to the pounding of troll feet and horses hooves running back and forth on top of the bridge neither of them making a sound almost not even daring to breathe. The bridge swayed with the weight of many soldiers on top but so far stayed put. The two men could see through the cracks in the bridge that their adversaries were still on top. The water ran through the rocks and on the men's legs feeling very cold, icy, and unpleasant but neither of them moved for fear of being heard or seen. The troll's feet seemed to grow less and less and eventually left the bridge.   
  
Are they gone yet? Mordred mouthed. Wendell listened faintly until the footsteps not only left the bridge, but he could also not hear them or the troll's snarling in the background. When he was certain he could no longer hear them, he gingerly poked his head out of the bridge to look around. The trolls were definitely gone.   
  
"Yes they are gone," Wendell said as he pushed himself out of the bridge. Mordred warily followed suit. When they climbed to the top of the bridge, Wendell headed North. "Where are you going?" Mordred demanded.   
  
"What does it look like?" Wendell replied. "I am going straight back to the 4th Kingdom where I belong! My people need me!"   
  
Mordred ran up to Wendell and stood in his direction. "Stand aside, that is an order!"   
  
"You forget, I am not your subject your majesty and I will not!" Since the incident with the Mountain Trolls, Mordred realized it was dangerous, nay even suicide to travel these kingdoms alone, when he had no idea of his direction, and who knows what creatures were out there. The Mountain Trolls may be considered the more pleasant of these creatures. He no longer wanted to kill Wendell, not yet, now he hated to admit it, but he needed him. But he won't give him the satisfaction of knowing that. "Think about it, what if the 4th Kingdom were conquered, what would you be able to do about it, alone?" Wendell opened his mouth and realized that he hadn't thought of that. "We just ran from these things and you want to travel to the Lion' Den?"  
  
"I will not abandon my people to their fate!" Wendell declared.   
  
"You said so yourself that if they lost, they could leave. Don't you think they are smart enough to do that on their own? But if you want to get yourself killed playing boy hero that's fine with me!"   
  
Wendell stopped. "All right, then my second option is that we go to the 2nd Kingdom like my grandmother and your friend-"  
  
"-She is not my friend-" Mordred objected.   
  
"-suggested," Wendell continued. "But one thing how can I trust you?"  
  
"How can I trust you?" Mordred repeated.   
  
Wendell smiled. "Perfect," he said. He knew that with both of them watching their own backs, that neither he nor Mordred could put something over on the other. Besides he now knew, even if Mordred didn't, that he would be largely dependant on the knight's survival. And as for himself, well he trusted Mordred about as far as he can throw him, but he would make damn sure that if Mordred had any other thoughts about betraying them, then the king would make sure that he was dead before they were carried out, but he would make sure that it would be by his hand.   
  
Wendell looked around. "I'm not quite sure where we are, but if we follow the main road, we should see a sign or civilization before too long, so let's go." He invited Mordred to walk ahead of him.  
  
"Oh no, I insist after you," Mordred said. Wendell gave him a look but walked ahead making sure that his peripheral vision never left Mordred's gaze for even a second as he kept his eyes forward.   
  
        Cinderella ran outside of her castle to see the long lines of fugitives approach. They arrived in a large mass of men, women, and children. Cinderella's servants ran up to them offering them food, shelter, and comfort upon the queen's request. The queen ran to the head of the line to approach Virginia, Wolf, Tony and the children. Her heart beat quickly when she realized that she didn't see her grandson. "A messenger arrived before you did and explained some of the events," she informed them. "What's going on and where is Wendell?"  
  
"One of the trolls took him and a friend of theirs'," Wolf told her and nodded in Merlin's direction. "We think he might be alive for now." The refugees gathered into the First Kingdom and were aided by the residents of the kingdom.   
  
"How long do you think that diversion will hold?" Virginia asked Merlin.   
  
"Not long enough," the wizard replied as the six followed Cinderella into her castle.   
  
        The Mountain Trolls were still fighting their invisible adversaries when Mab and Hilda arrived. Though the Mountain Trolls seemed to be engaged in a heated battle but both women couldn't see what they were fighting against. "What the-?" Hilda asked.   
  
The two exchanged glances and approached one of the trolls. Hilda threw him on the ground. "What are you doing!" she demanded.   
  
The troll grunted in his own language leaving Mab to translate. "He said that they were fighting an army that appeared from the sky to defend the 4th Kingdom," she said in a very bewildered tone.   
  
Hilda shook her head. "Army, what army? No army could have been rallied and arrived here fast enough and from the sky? I don't understand."  
  
Mab's dark eyes narrowed into slits. "I do, Merlin! That hand wizard created an illusion!"   
  
Hilda then kicked the troll again. "You fools you have been tricked!" While she explained that to them, Mab waved her hand in the air and the troll's visions disappeared. "They got away," Mab said. "If I were you, I would punish them."  
  
"Oh I have every intention, " Hilda said. "Well we have Castle White and that is something for now." Just then another Mountain Troll approached the throne room and bowed low speaking humbly.   
  
Mab listened. "He said that they had King Wendell with them, but he managed to escape with another soldier."   
  
"Such impudence!" Hilda hissed. She was about to strike when Mab held out her hand to stay her.   
  
"Wait chances are that Merlin and the others are alive and if they are we can always hire specialists to find them and kill them," Mab said.   
  
Hilda reasoned. "From what I understand the Hunter's Guild is still alive and active and I know they would have no love for those fools since they killed their founder."   
  
Mab nodded. "I know some Dark sidhe who are very adept at searching for and catching such creatures."   
  
Hilda smiled. "Very we will do it." They were about to leave when Mab called her back.  
  
"Haven't you forgotten something?" she asked.   
  
"Oh, of course," Hilda said looking at the Mountain Troll who let Wendell escape. The Troll bowed low as his death sentence was proclaimed. "Take out his eyes and stomp on them! Then when you are through eat his heart," she ordered the other trolls. The other Mountain Trolls were only too happy to oblige.   
  
        Cinderella's council room was abuzz with noise and shouting. Merlin, Nimue, Frick, Tony, Wolf, Virginia, and Cinderella were all seated and talking at once. It was a very nervous event, pure chaos.   
  
"We have to stop this before it gets any worse," Nimue said.   
  
"How can it get any worse?" Tony demanded.   
  
"Believe me, it will get worse," Merlin answered.   
  
"We have to find Wendell!" Virginia suggested.   
  
"No we must find our king first," Merlin replied.   
  
"Why can't we go back to our kingdom and fight for it?" Wolf asked.   
  
"Would you like to become Puppy Chow?" Frick taunted. "In fact, go ahead I'd be so looking forward to it!" Wolf growled at the gnome and the shouting continued rising to an even higher level so high that no one could be heard.   
  
Virginia held up her hands and shouted above the noise. "Hey, hey, hey! Enough is enough!" Everyone became quiet. "One at a time!"  
  
"Thank you," Cinderella said annoyed.   
  
Virginia turned to Merlin. "Merlin, yesterday. God, I can't believe that was just yesterday seemed like a long time ago. Anyway, yesterday, before the fight you said something about your king being brought back and that involved us and I'm guessing you think that it's connected with what has been happening. So, maybe we should start there, how do you know all this?"  
  
Merlin took a deep breath before he spoke. "When our king was killed on the battlefield, I had him buried in Avalon, that was an island near Camelot. Well I had left that place many times only to return to it to check on him, to just visit him. After all he was family. But then several years later, it happened."  
  
"What happened?" Wolf asked.   
  
"Well many of the priests and nuns had raised objections about him being buried in Avalon. The temptation would be far too great they told me, for enemies to snatch his body or to somehow trace their lineage back to him to express supreme authority. Well one night, I had returned to Avalon only to find the king's body gone and his tomb opened but he wasn't there!"   
  
"Do you know what happened to him?" Virginia asked.   
  
"A priest who had aided me, one of the king's former knights, Bedivere his name was told me that during the night three beautiful women appeared in Avalon and stood over the body. He told me that they said that they were taking him to where he would be safe until the time was right. That was all he could tell me, and the last I had heard of him at least in person. The story by then had been told in myth and legend. Many of which were very hard to swallow and misrepresentative of us."   
  
"And you believe he was brought here," Tony said.   
  
"Well at first we did," Nimue said picking up the story. "That's why we came to this world so often. We figured that somehow he was sent here, but we never found him and we searched everywhere. So time went on, and England, or as you call it the 10th Kingdom became more modern and had no need of us anymore. Avalon had long ceased to be an island and is now a hill and many of the old castles were in ruins. After the mirror had been thrown away, we knew that we had no reason to return."   
  
"Until now, we figured that the search was closed to us until the other night when an old enemy of mine indicated that the time for his resurrection would be soon," Merlin replied.  
  
"So you have been searching all this time and you never found him," Virginia said.   
  
"Well not just searching," Frick replied. "After we were removed from England by force the three of us had just opted to stay here and live out our lives here. Well, I figured that Bedivere's words were the ramblings of a madman and the body probably taken and buried or burned somewhere. No, I'm sorry but as far as I'm concerned King Arthur is dead!"   
  
Cinderella's eyes widened. During Merlin's story, she had remained silent but his words struck her with a long ago memory. She felt ill, but she just knew that it had to be connected. "You are referring to King Arthur?" she asked her face pale and drawn.   
  
"Yes," Merlin replied. "You know something?"   
  
Cinderella shook her head and waved for her handmaidens and guards to leave the room. They did locking the doors behind them and as she spoke she walked through her main palace closing every window and shutting all curtains. She spoke in a really loud voice. "I have never heard of King Arthur, I do not know anything about him!" When every door was locked and every window shut. Cinderella turned to her other companions. The room was dark, but lit only by candlelight. She approached them and spoke her voice very quiet. "Now all of you understand that what I say can not leave this room." They all nodded. "I do know who King Arthur is. Long ago, not too long after the five of us, Gretel, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White, and I had formed what would later become the 9 Kingdoms. We had each received a vision of dark creatures approaching and people fighting to defend us, including a man who seemed to be a king. Well, we very unsure of what all that meant, but the five of us decided to have a private council meeting. Well during that meeting a woman appeared she was dressed all in white with long white hair and appeared to be some sort of phantom or spirit. We were about to get rid of it, when she explained that it was she who sent the visions and now she was asking us a favor. We asked what it was, and she told us that she could only explain unless we agreed. Well we did, and she told us to meet her by the river between the 3rd and 6th Kingdoms two days later and to tell no one.  
  
We arrived at the right time and the woman appeared just as she said she would, but this time she wasn't alone. She was with two other women, one dark haired and the other red. She explained that her name was Viviane, also known as the Lady of the Lake and the other two women were her sisters Morgause and Elaine. They explained to us that a king from another world known as Arthur was slain, but was destined to return and they wanted us to keep his body in somewhere in our kingdoms until such time when he could be resurrected. After they explained a gold skiff arrived floating on the water and in that skiff was perfectly preserved body of a man, this was their king they explained.   
  
We were confused about how we were supposed to be involved, but they explained that in the future a time would come when our enemies would be united with his and we would need to ally ourselves with these heroes to fight them. Our only requirement was the five of us were to keep it a secret and to tell no one until the time was right. When the 4th Kingdom was attacked, I knew that time would be now."  
  
"Do you know where he was taken?" Merlin asked.   
  
Cinderella shrugged. "Sort of in a way. After the body appeared. Elaine and Morgause reappeared with two other items a beautiful silver sword and a golden cup. They called them-"  
  
"- Excalibur and the Holy Grail," Merlin, Nimue, and Frick said.   
  
"Exactly," Cinderella replied. "When the time was right they said, Arthur would be resurrected through drops of his own blood drawn by Excalibur and into the Holy Grail. Then fallen onto his heart would restore his life. But they wanted to make sure that his body would not be found until the time was right, so they did the only thing they could do: Hide the body, the cup, and the sword in different places."  
  
"Talk about paranoia," Tony mused.   
  
"It was too keep the body safe until then, "Cinderella answered. "I cannot tell you where the body is, because I do not know. None of us did, they wouldn't tell us, but I can tell you they told us they would put Excalibur in the grave of lost memories in the 7th Kingdom and the Grail would be in the heart of the devils, in the mountains of the 9th. Only when those three items are brought together, the sword, the cup, and the blood then would the location of the king be revealed and his entire kingdom would be brought back to life."  
  
"Wait a minute, if you don't know where the body is how can you get the blood first?" Tony asked. "Did Artie donate his blood to a blood bank or something?"   
  
"I don't know," Cinderella replied. "That confused us as well, but they disappeared and we never saw them again. In fact I didn't even think of that encounter until today."   
  
There was silence among the seven people as they realized what was being said. Virginia nodded. "So to bring King Arthur back, we got to find Excalibur, the Holy Grail, and the blood first." She shrugged. "I say we split up, it seems only logical."  
  
Tony at first couldn't believe what she was saying. "Are you crazy?"   
  
Merlin nodded. "Yes if we cover ground soon we should be able to reach them in good timing."   
  
"Are you serious?" Tony repeated. "Isn't that kind of dangerous."   
  
"It's the only solution," Virginia reminded her father. "Dad, since I've been here I know that sometimes you have to do these type of things to save everyone. That's not very profound is it?" She said bashfully.  
  
"It's good enough," Merlin replied with a smile.   
  
"But wait a minute," Tony replied. "Aren't we forgetting something? What about Wendell, shouldn't we rescue him?" A silence befell the crowd.  
  
"I almost did forgot about him," Virginia said then turned to Merlin, Nimue, and Frick. "Assuming he escapes from the trolls, how safe would he be with your friend?"  
  
Frick laughed bitterly. "Has your king done everything he ever wanted to do in life?"  
  
Virginia, Wolf, and Tony exchanged confused glances. "No, probably not," Wolf said.   
  
"Oops," Frick replied. "I hate to bring everyone down but even if he survives the trolls, I can almost assure that with Mordred he would be dead within five minutes."   
  
"Mountain Trolls are from the 9th Kingdom correct?" Merlin asked. The residents nodded. "Which is where the Grail is, I will go find the Grail and if I find him I will help rescue your king. I assure you he will be safe."   
  
"Well if I have to go," Tony reasoned slowly. "I would prefer to go with the wizard, since I have less chances of getting myself killed."   
  
"I will go with you as well," Nimue replied.   
  
Merlin held his wife by the shoulders. "No, Nimue I can not allow it. It is too dangerous."  
  
"I am just as much a part of it as you," Nimue declared. "I am going!"   
  
"I think you should stay with the other women," Tony suggested.   
  
"If that is true then why are you going?" the woman asked dryly. Tony laughed sarcastically.   
  
"All right, you both can come with me, now if we are headed for the 9th we need someone to go to the 7th, who can that be?" He fought back laughter as Wolf and Frick waved their hands emphatically and mouthed no. "They would have to work together. Mr. Wolf, Frick thank you so much for volunteering." The two men dropped their protest and sighed annoyed.  
  
"Oh this will be fun hanging out with you the entire trip," Frick said sarcastically.   
  
"Make sure I don't develop a taste for goblin meat," Wolf threatened half-teasing.  
  
Virginia sighed. "Well if those two are going to the 5th Kingdom, I'd better go with them. Someone has to keep you two kids in line and to make sure that Frick doesn't get eaten or Wolf doesn't turn into some hideously cute creature. So should we leave tomorrow morning?"  
  
Merlin shook his head. "No, if I know my enemy Mab like I do, she will be expecting that. We had better leave sooner, tonight."   
  
        Mab and Hilda stood outside the rustic hunting lodge. It was larger than most lodges; about three stories and looked nice with the white and brown Germanic style wood, and a few antler heads at the top. But inside it housed some of the more ruthless, blood- thirsty characters in the 9 Kingdoms! Mab stood in front of a statue of a weathered gray haired man holding a crossbow. Under his statue sat a legend "Our Founder: Only live for the hunt." Mab rolled her eyes realizing how much the man resembled King Vortigen!  
  
A thin balding man opened the door. "They may see you now," he said to Hilda who was cloaked hiding her appearance. She approached Mab. "I had better speak with them on my own, they are expecting me."   
  
Mab nodded. "Fine with me, I intend to recruit my own army and they will like you about as much." Hilda glared wondering how threatening that comment was supposed to be, but instead took the opportunity to walk into the lodge. When Mab was certain she was alone, she left the lodge and went to the very center of the Disenchanted Forest. She held her hand up high and called out a chant in Gaelic. Suddenly before her appeared three creatures, a beautiful woman with long dark haired and a sultry expression, a shrouded creature with yellow eyes who seemed to move like lightening in and out of shadows, and a small gremlin looking creature with bald gray skin, a large leer, and a hungry look.   
  
"What do you wish of us, our queen?" the woman asked as they bowed low.  
  
Mab grinned. "The Lilith," she said to the woman. "The Boggart", she nodded at the small gray creature and then turned to the dark silent one. "And The Shadow." They nodded as she called them all. "You are some of my more loyal subjects."  
  
"Of course my queen," the Boggart agreed.   
  
"I want you to find some people for me, Merlin, his wife, and that traitor Frick! They will have traveling companions, a half-man half-wolf, a woman, and an older man who is the woman's father as well as their king Wendell. I want you to find them and kill them before they find Arthur!"   
  
"Of course my queen all you have to do is say their names," The Boggart replied.  
  
Mab nodded. "Merlin, Nimue, Frick, Virginia Wolf, Tony Lewis, Wolf, and King Wendell White! Now, go and do not fail me!" The three of them nodded and disappeared into the woods. Mab smiled wickedly. She trusted Lilith, Boggart, and Shadow they were completely loyal, and completely unscrupulous. They would never turn against her the way Frick and Merlin did. They were relentless and they would find them and never give up the search until they were all dead. That was the way of Dark Sidhe, doing her bidding and leaving no one left alive at the end to talk about it.   
  
        Hilda followed the man into the lodge. He invited her to sit by a fire and she waited until she heard a voice call. "You summoned us?" Hilda looked up to see two men and one woman looking at her. The woman was attractive with long auburn hair pulled back and a small girlish face, that made her appear innocent and trusting, but Hilda wasn't fooled. She took a look at the woman's stance and the way she held her crossbow and knew that she was a hunter. One of the men was very tall and muscular with blond hair and piercing green eyes and a scar on his right cheek. He carried a bow to his side and arrows around his back. The second man was also tall but thinner than the blond man. His hair had been shaved off leaving him bald, but he had strange grey eyes that seemed to be both emotional and cruel. He carried a scabbard with several daggers.   
  
"State your names," Hilda replied.   
  
"I am Hawke," the blond man replied.  
  
"I am Lynette," the woman answered.   
  
The other man didn't answer. Hilda glared at him. "What's the matter, has the cat got your tongue?" she asked.   
  
Lynette answered for him. "No a wolf. A mother wolf attacked him years ago after we slaughtered its children. It cut his throat open leaving him alive but he can't speak. He is my brother Robyn."   
  
"I have hired you because I need you to find some creatures for me, King Wendell, his stepsister Virginia Wolf, his manservant Tony Lewis, Mrs. Wolf's husband a half-wolf, a wizard called Merlin, a woman named Nimue, and a gnome called Frick. I want them all dead except Virginia Wolf! I want you to catch her and send her to me, but I want her alive!" She held out three bags containing gold coins. "Do you agree?"  
  
The three hunters exchanged glances then took the bags from her hands. "It will be done." Hawke answered for them.   
  
"Good," she answered. "Now go, and make sure the job is complete." The three hunters nodded and then left as swiftly as they entered.   
  
        Virginia, Wolf, Tony, Frick, Merlin, and Nimue stood in front of Cinderella's castle. Wolf and Virginia leaned down once more to hug their children who were sobbing as their parents held them.  
  
"But Mama, Daddy why do we have to stay here?" Luna repeated.   
  
"Can't we go with you," Gray said.  
  
"Please," the two kids said in unison giving their parents the big eyed look.  
  
"No you two, it's too dangerous," Virginia said. "I don't want anything to happen to you."   
  
Luna and Gray continued to pout, but Wolf spoke to them. "Besides, it could be even more dangerous around here with us gone, Cinderella's castle will need to be protected. You think you guys can do that?" Luna and Gray nodded. "Good, now give me a hug!" He hugged the two kids tightly as they pinned him to the ground and wrestled with them. Wolf laughed and tickled both children. Virginia smiled sweetly at the scene as they let go. After they were finished she reached over and hugged Gray one last time. She then reached for Luna and held her tightly. As she held her, she had a vague feeling that she would be putting her hands on the little girl's neck. She could see herself strangling the girl. Terrified, Virginia let go. "It will be okay," she said to them for her benefit as well as theirs. "Be good you two. We'll be back. I promise."   
  
The couple stood with the others. Cinderella stood in the doorway as Luna and Gray stood next to her. "I will guard them with my life," she promised. Suddenly she turned around to hear panting and whimpering. Prince stood in front of them giving the others a sorrowful look that seemed to say Bring my master home, please? Cinderella smiled. "I'll guard him with my life too. Now good luck and return safely." She said. They promised and left the castle to the main road.   
  
When the travelers reached the main road, they knew the time would come for them to divide into two separate groups. They stood in an uneven circle to say their goodbyes.   
  
"Now be careful out there," Tony told his daughter. "Be safe I want to see you again when this is over."   
  
"You will I promise," Virginia said. She reached up and kissed her father on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy."  
  
"I love you too," Tony said. He let go of his daughter as they waved good-bye. Wolf approached him and he slapped Tony on the back and they embraced.  
  
"If anything happens to her, you're in big trouble," Tony declared.  
  
"She'll be safe, I promise," Wolf said.   
  
Frick turned to his companions. "Don't worry think of this as yet another adventure. We'll come back from this one."  
  
"We always do," Merlin answered. Frick gave Nimue a friendly kiss on the cheek and then embraced Merlin. "Be careful, my favorite pupil."  
  
"You too, Old Friend," Merlin answered. Then the two groups split into separate factions and went their separate ways along the main road without looking back.   
  
        Tony, Nimue, and Merlin walked the main road in silence. When Merlin stopped and held his hand to stop them. "I think we are being followed," he said.   
  
"What is it?" Nimue asked.   
  
"I don't know," Merlin shrugged. "But lets make sure we don't find out."  
  
"How?" Tony asked.   
  
Merlin pointed up ahead to a range that looked frightening with the howling winds through the barren trees and not at all inviting.   
  
"We go through there," Merlin said. Merlin and Nimue headed for the woods with Tony close behind.  
  
"Maybe I should have gone with Frick and Wolf," Tony muttered as he followed them.   
  
        Mordred and Wendell sat in front of the pile of logs the two had collected. They had yet to find any form of civilization and still did not know exactly where in the 9 Kingdoms they were, but both were too exhausted to worry about it now. Wendell put the last two logs on the pile making careful sure he avoided turning his back to Mordred.   
  
"Would you care to do the honors?" the king glibly asked the former knight.   
  
Mordred picked up two flint stones, watching Wendell to make sure he didn't reach for his sword and hit the stones twice on the sides. A spark formed from them and before too long a friendly fire emerged from the spark. Wendell rubbed his hands on the fire feeling the blaze warm him pleasantly. He sat on one side of the blaze while Mordred sat on the other. The two remained silent as Wendell held out his hands to the flames to let it warm and fill him. Surprisingly, he could see that Mordred was trying to avoid the fire. He sat far away from it not trying to sit by it, or even look at it. "You don't want to sit in front of the fire?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine where I am," Mordred replied shortly. A yawn escaped from both men. "You can go ahead and sleep," Wendell said. "I'll take the first watch tonight."  
  
"Really?" Mordred asked. "You sure?"  
  
All the better to see you with my dear, Wendell thought sarcastically. "It's all right, I'll take it."   
  
"Well if you insist," Mordred said laying his body down far from the blaze and fell right to sleep. Wendell sat in front of a tree keeping close to the fire but keeping his eyes and ears open for impending danger. Apart from the sound of a few small animals, so far Wendell could hear nothing. Mordred slept on the other end of the fire, but not comfortably. The knight seemed to move and shift uncontrollably in his sleep. He whispered and muttered some things but apart from, "No," Wendell couldn't tell what any of them meant. He was obviously having a nightmare. Wendell kept his eyes tensely on the road. If he keeps that up, he will have the entire Hunter's Guild after us before too long, Wendell thought bitterly. Suddenly, Wendell's ears perked up. He could hear something. It sounded like footsteps. Wendell quietly withdrew his sword from his scabbard and warily got off the tree. He kicked at the fire with his feet until the blazes died. Then he leaned over to Mordred to shake him gently. "Mordred wake up!"   
  
        Mordred sprang to life and grabbed Wendell by the throat knocking him down. He tried to squeeze him with his hand! "Mordred, it's only me. It's King Wendell!" He hoped that Mordred wasn't trying to kill him personally, but knew there would be no guarantees.   
  
Mordred blinked as if just coming back to life, he removed his hand from the king's throat. "I thought you were someone else," he said.   
  
Wendell hushed him. "Someone's coming, we have to leave." The two stood up, their swords ready. They stepped from the clearing and walked silently up to the path they had left from, but saw and heard nothing.   
  
"It looks like they are gone," Wendell said.   
  
Just then a man appeared holding them at arrow point. "Not quite," he said with a heavy accent.   
  
Frick, Virginia, and Wolf walked along the main road talking their way through. They didn't know where the grave of lost memories was or even what it was. Plus, they were far from the 7th Kingdom. Everything was a puzzle and no one yet knew how to solve it.   
  
Wolf held up his hands to silence the other two and sniffed the air. "Cripes!" He cursed. "We have to get out of here!"  
  
"What's wrong?" Frick asked.   
  
"The Huntsmen are following us!"   
  
Virginia started. "Wait a minute Hunts MEN? As in men, plural indicating more than one, more than the one we already killed?"  
  
"There's a whole guild of them," Wolf explained. "Our huntsmen, the one that worked for you- Wendell's stepmother was the founder of the guild!"   
  
"Better hide then," Virginia said. Wolf listened and smelt closely.   
  
"They are right behind us," he said.   
  
The three of them ran into the woods after Wolf. They ran frantically from tree to tree feeling, just knowing that their captors were close behind them.  
  
"Can you see them?" Virginia asked.   
  
"Not that close," Wolf replied. "Not yet anyway." As they ran Wolf kicked at their tracks to cover them. He looked ahead and saw a tree with a large knot under it. "Quickly, under that tree!" he yelled. The three of them ran until they jumped under the tree. Frick then held up his hand and grass appeared forming to cover the knot.   
  
"We should be safe here for the night," Frick said.   
  
Virginia and Wolf nodded and the three stretched out for the night and slept inside the knot. 


	5. Chapter Five: The Palace of Beauty

Chapter Five: The Palace of Beauty   
  
"Could Taste Your Sweet Kisses  
  
Your arms open wide  
  
This fever for you is just   
  
Burning me up inside."   
  
~ From "I Drove All Night" by Celine Dion  
  
Wolf was the first to look out the next morning. His sharp eyes peered out as he searched his surroundings. He sniffed around for any signs of the Hunters. He heard the distant twitter of a bird, but that was all. He poked his head back into the tree. "Coast is clear," he called to his friends. "I think they are gone." He stuck his hand into the tree and helped Virginia to rise, then he and Virginia did the same to Frick.   
  
"You sure they're gone?" Virginia asked.   
  
"Positive," Wolf answered.   
  
Suddenly an arrow whizzed by barely missing the trio and hitting the tree. "You may wish to rethink that," Frick quipped. Virginia, Wolf, and Frick ran further into the woods. "They are right behind us," Wolf said. "Get down!" The three hid behind a group of up turned roots as they could make out the image of the female hunter pacing right on top of them.  
  
Lynnette searched, but could find no trace of the wolf. She caught him a few seconds ago, but he disappeared again. She remembered all of the teachings that she had learned as a child. To know your prey and to follow it, catching it's sight and smell. When she was a child, she remembered what their founder had taught them. "Wolves are violent," he said, "But half wolves are worse because they attack like wolves and think like man. They are formidable adversaries."   
  
She paced back and forth angrily. "Come on out Wolf," she muttered. "I'm sure you would like to have a word with me over the animals we killed, but maybe you would like to have a word with someone whose parents have been slaughtered and brother has been disfigured by your own kind!" Don't mind that, she thought, think like an animal. Robyn was usually the best at it, but then since he no longer could speak he had an advantage. Lynette was still learning.   
  
The young huntress knelt on the ground and listened and looked for any signs. Lynnette had prided herself on her hearing and she could catch the rapid breathing of the young woman that accompanied Wolf. She crouched down for her prey.   
  
Wolf could smell Lynette waiting for them. He grabbed a branch and gripped it until his knuckles grew white. "She's waiting for us," he whispered. "You two take off, I'll take her."   
  
"Put down that silly twig boy," Frick said. Then he listened for a squeaky sound from far off and could hear a cart being carried. "I have an even better idea." He then quickly got out of the tree and was able to make himself invisible and headed for the cart.   
  
  
  
Frick pulled the reins on the horse as the cart moved. Inside the cart Wolf and Virginia were carefully hidden inside a blanket as the cart rolled towards the road. Frick peered through the brim of his straw hat to see Lynnette standing on the road. The young huntress held out her hand to stop him.  
  
"Ah, afternoon miss,:" Frick said in his best Southern English voice.   
  
Lynnette skipped the pleasantries. "I am part of the Huntsmens Guild and I am looking for a half wolf/half human, a monsterous creature. Have you seen it?"  
  
"Ah no miss," Frick said with a wry smile on his face. "But they be monsterous creatures indeed. I met one who was so hideous, so monsterous that I thought he ran away from a circus side show." He heard a small growl underneath the tarp, but ignored it. "And then there is their breath."   
  
"What do you have in there?" Lynnette asked walking up to the tarp.   
  
Realizing he said to much, Frick grabbed the girls arm. "No, no don't go in there. Uh I have gryphons in there very dangerous creatures they are, come on out and bit you."   
  
Lynnette looked closer and could just see a small speck of dark colored clothing peering out of the tarp. Despite Frick's protestations, the huntress pulled open the tarp to reveal Virginia and Wolf. The two leapt up to fight the woman. At abour half a second, Lynnette shot a crossbow it hit Wolf in the chest. The half wolf growled in pain and then lunged at the young woman knocking her out away from the cart and unconscious.   
  
"Get us out of here, Frick!" Virginia yelled. Frick nodded as he raced the horses out of the woods as Virginia held onto her husband's hand.  
  
Frick continuted to drive like the wind, until they were safely away from the huntress.   
  
When he was sure they were far away from the woods, he stopped the cart and leaped out to help Virginia with Wolf.   
  
"How is he?" he asked.   
  
Virginia's face became pale as she held her husband's hand and rested his head on top of her knees. "He's going to be okay," she said weakly then turned to her husband. "You're going to be okay."   
  
"I'll get help," Frick said desperately. He turned to leave when Wolf called him back.  
  
"Huff Puff, she cut too deeply," Wolf said. "I'm not going to make it."  
  
"It's no big deal," Frick said. "I can disappear and end up in another town."  
  
"You'll never make it," Wolf said.  
  
"Sure he will," Virginia said feeling her eyes fill.  
  
Frick gulped. "I'm um sorry for what I said-"  
  
Wolf waved his hand. "No no it's okay, I've been called worse." He gasped as the wound seared through his body. Sweat poured down his face and his teeth chattered.   
  
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," a warm voice said. The trio turned to see a woman with red hair down to her ankles and wearing a long black dress. Even though she looked only a few years older than Virginia, she had premature lines on her face indicating that she had suffered.   
  
"You look like you could use some help," she said.   
  
Virginia and Frick nodded. "My husband is very sick. He's been shot!"   
  
The woman looked kindly at the cart. "Let's see what I can do then," she took a vial out of her bag and gently placed it over Wolf's chest. She chanted a few words and the blood seemed to disappear.   
  
After a few seconds of silence, Wolf cautiously sat up feeling his strength returning. He howled triumphantely, "I feel better!!!!!" he howled. He practically hugged the life out of Virginia and Frick.  
  
"Gnome can't breathe," Frick gasped feeling slightly out of air by Wolf's embrace.  
  
Wolf let go.   
  
"Thank you," Virginia said to the woman. "Thank you so much."  
  
The woman smiled. "You're welcome if there is anything else I can-"  
  
The trio exchanged glances as if to say, she might know.   
  
Virginia turned to her. "We're looking for something called the graveyard of lost memories? And we think it might be in the 7th Kingdom. Do you know the quickest way there?"  
  
The woman nodded. "Of course, I do and I will tell you but first you must do something for me, whilst you are here in the 5th."  
  
Frick, Wolf, and Virginia glanced from one to the other and nodded. "Sure, after all it's the least we could do, you know for this," Wolf said putting his hand on his chest.   
  
The woman nodded and smiled warmly. "Good, there is a city within two miles of here.. Visit the Palace of Beauty, you will find what you are looking for, I think especially you sir," She said pointing at Frick. "I will tell you more later."  
  
Frick's eyes narrowed, puzzled. "What did you mean-" But the woman disappeared in the breeze.   
  
There was a small silence as Wolf spoke. "I guess we'd better go to the city."   
  
Naked City was crowded! Revellers were everywhere, having the time of their lives dancing and feasting at all the sites. A row of people were dancing merrily in a circle fanagling the three visitors to join them "Some party, huh?" Virginia yelled over the noise.   
  
"That's all they do around here," Wolf yelled. He, Frick and Virginia eventually wormed their way out of the circle dance as Wolf explained. "The Naked Emperor lets his people feast and party all day long, things got a little out of control. A lot of vice and brothels moved in and you can always count on at least one or two-"  
  
Suddenly a loud smash was heard and before the three's eyes two men fell out of the bar pummelling each other as if nothing had happened. "-barroom brawls," Wolf finished as if uninterrupted.   
  
After the ambience died down or rather moved a few streets down. Wolf was conscious of the fact that his stomach was growling. "I'm starving, you two?"  
  
"Yes, now that you mention it," Frick said.   
  
"I could eat," Virginia agreed.   
  
"I see a restaurant," Frick pointed across the street.   
  
Wolf and Virginia looked around. "Where?" Virginia asked trying to see past the crowds of people who had gathered in front of the building.   
  
Frick continued pointing. "Over there, by that building with the portrait of the woman!"   
  
"You mean the-," then Wolf read the sign right. "Palace of Beauty!"   
  
Virginia, Wolf, and Frick walked closer to the clear white two story wood building. It was immaculate in the front and surrounding it were paintings of beautiful women. Above the building was a sign "Palace of Beauty! Come see the most beautiful women in the 9 Kingdoms!"   
  
"Let's go in!" Frick said. "I want to see what that woman had to say about this place!"   
  
"Good idea," Wolf said.   
  
"I don't know," Virginia reminded them. "I don't think it's a place I want to go in, and I definitely don't think it's a place you should go in either!" She glared at her husband.   
  
"It's not that kind of Palace of Beauty, my dear," said a smooth baritone voice behind them. Wolf, Virginia, and Frick jumped in surprise and then turned around to see the speaker. He was a short man in a long black overcoat and a black three cornered hat that covered his completely bald head. He had deep brown eyes but the most intriguing thing about him was his long blue beard which trailed all the way to his ankles.   
  
"Welcome to my Palace of Beauty," he said. "My name is Bluebeard."  
  
"Wait a minute," Wolf said suspiciously. "You mean the Bluebeard who killed all of those women?"  
  
Bluebeard shook his head. "No, that was my father. I'm not a killer of women, more like a collector of women." Upon Virginia's wide eyed and frightened stare, he changed his voice. "I mean I am an artist, a sculpter and these women are my creations. Would you care to join me?"   
  
They nodded. "Sure," Virginia said. "Actually, we need some food and posssibly a place to stay.   
  
Bluebeard smiled warmly. "What a coincidence, I also provide room and board at my home. Excellent," He then opened the door and waved them in. "Step right up and don't be shy, because you will not believe your eyes."   
  
Bluebeard's gallery was the entire first floor of the building. It was very quiet, seeming far from the continuous noise outside. The room was extremely wide and narrow with a gilded rug and red barriers across each side. Behind the barriers were eleven glass rectangular boxes, all with the same identical gold frames around them. Inside the glass were images of very beautiful women, blonds, brunnettes, redheads, all staring with the same vacant expression. At the far end, was what appeared to be another glass box but this one was covered by a black curtain.   
  
Virginia gulped looking at these women. She remembered once when she was six that her first grade class had taken a trip to the wax museum, and she remembered how much she shivered looking at the figures glaring at her as though they would move even though they couldn't. She had that same feeling here. Like these women were looking straight at her, but not moving. She looked closely at one of the blond women. The woman's blue eyes seemed to move. Virginia yipped.   
  
"Something wrong?" Bluebeard asked slightly amused.  
  
"Uh, it's just they seem so real," she said. "I thought I saw that one move slightly."  
  
Bluebeard laughed. "Yes, they are rather startling, I have thought the same thing myself several times."  
  
Frick looked around appreciatvely, while Wolf looked closely at them curiously closely examining each one. "Quite an appreciative artistic eye you have," Frick marvelled. "However did you make these?"  
  
Bluebeard shrugged. "Just a gift, I suppose. I see these beautiful women and I have to capture their essence, their beauty in clay." Through the corner of his eye, he saw Wolf peeking under the curtained one. "No, don't!"   
  
"Why?," Wolf asked. "What's the matter?"   
  
"Oh that is my personal favorite, my Exotic Beauty," he said. "No one touches her, but me." Wolf took his hands off the curtain in a gesture as if to say "okay, whatever."   
  
"How did you acquire her?" Frick asked curiously.   
  
Bluebeard smiled. Like any artist, he was proud to talk about his work and inspiration. "Well, it began a few years ago after I had made these women. I had sculpted many women in the 9 Kingdoms and they began to bore me. I grew weary of seeing the same faces over and over. Well one day a fairy appeared to me, and I told her I wanted a new creation. I didn't care whether she had been resurrected to life, nor that her beauty was a creation by fairies, just a beauty I had never seen before. And so they sent her to me and I captured her." He put his hand on the curtain. "Would you like to see?"   
  
Frick nodded as Wolf pulled Virginia away. As Bluebeard undid the curtain, Wolf whispered to his wife," Virginia, I know clay when I smell it and I know marble when I smell it and these ladies aren't either."   
  
"What do you mean?" Virginia asked.   
  
"These women are real and they are alive," Wolf said. Finally, the curtain was uncovered and Frick felt a shock go through him like none he ever felt in his whole long life, except one other time and ironically it involved the person staring back at him. The Exotic Beauty stared wordlessly from behind the glass, her red curly hair was curled up and around her head in an upturned style. Her green eyes were just as lovely as ever. Her blue Roman style cut gown was a sky blue. Frick knew her instantely for she never left his thought for a moment, not even a second. For staring back at him was Morgan Le Fey!   
  
Frick was about to yell a wordless scream when Wolf and Virginia caught him and grabbed him. "Oh look at the time," Virginia said. "We must get going."   
  
"Would you prefer to stay here for the night?" Bluebeard asked.  
  
"Oh we really can't," Wolf said as Frick struggled to move from under the taller wolf's grasp. "Our friend here is allergic to uh clay, and dust. We must get going!" The three struggled outside with a puzzled Bluebeard looking on.   
  
"I know it's her," Frick said desperately as the three of them sat and ate at a nearby inn.   
  
"You've said that before, but who is she?" Virginia asked.   
  
"Morgan Le Fey!" Frick said. "She is, was, is my love until we were seperated!"   
  
"Morgan Le Fey, wasn't she King Arthur's sister or something?" Virginia asked. Frick nodded.   
  
"Yes and isn't she Mordred's mother?" Wolf asked.   
  
"No," Virginia answered. "That was someone else, Morgause or something like that." Virginia replied.   
  
"No, she is Mordred's mother," Frick said. "Some of the biographers wanted to put another character in- Oh when we rescue her, I'll let her explain it!"   
  
"What happened to her?" Virginia asked.  
  
"Well, she and Mab, Queen Mab Merlin's old enemy, argued. You see she wanted to take Mordred to her world so he could conquer Camelot and eventually take the throne right? But Morgan refused and Mab caused her to slip off the stairs and broke her neck. I didn't think she could be, but she's here, and I know her I know it's not just a statue, I know!"  
  
Virginia and Wolf nodded. "We know too," Virginia said.   
  
"You used to work for Queen Mab didn't you?" Wolf asked.   
  
Frick stammered. "Well, I, uh, well yes in a way," then he hesitated. "Yes, I did. It's not something I'm proud of." He looked from Wolf to Virginia back. "You aren't shocked?"   
  
The human and half-wolf couple shook their heads. "We've all been there," Wolf said.  
  
"Trust me," Virginia said. "We've all done things we're not proud of." She remembered her final encounter with her mother and once more, she shuddered. She looked at the two men in a conspiratorial glance and returned to normal. "So how do we get in there?"   
  
Frick brightened up considerably. "Well we would need to get in without him knowing! I know I could go inside, but how do we free the women?"  
  
"They are probably under some sort of spell," Wolf said. "Couldn't you counter balance it?"  
  
"Not without knowing specifically what spell was cast and whether it were human or fairy," Frick sighed. " If it were human, Merlin probably could being a human wizard but mixing magicks can be extremely dangerous."   
  
"Perhaps, I could be of assistance," a familiar voice called. The three looked up at the voice that appeared from across the table. It was the woman, the same woman who helped Wolf in the forest!   
  
"Can you help us?" Frick asked.   
  
"Yes, I can," the woman replied. "I have been trying to find Bluebeard for a very long time in vengeance for my sister's kidnappings!"  
  
"Your sister's?" Wolf asked.  
  
"Those other women," Virginia guessed.   
  
The woman nodded. "Let me begin, my name is Angela and I am the eldest of twelve princesses from one of the smaller areas in the 3rd kingdom. My sisters and I shared a secret from our grandmother that proved our undoing. She showed us once a secret compartment under our beds in which she and her sisters used to dance the night away with fairy princes. Well we used it and had a lot of fun, but," her voice caught with emotion, so she cleared her throat. " –well our father became suspicious after we wore out our shoes, so he promised one of ours hand in marriage and his kingdom to any man who discovered our secret. Bluebeard arrived and took my father up on that offer. He followed us to our secret place and for proof he stole some objects from that place. My sisters and I were discovered, but the next day before our father made the official announcement, Bluebeard disappeared with my sisters! I have searched the kingdoms far and wide for him and a few weeks ago I came upon his Palace of Beauty. I knew I had come to the right place. One night I peeked through the window and saw my sisters in their glass prison with the other woman, who I later found was called Morgan Le Fey." Frick stiffened at the sound of her name. "I was able to see that Bluebeard had some sort of potion on the second floor of his home, but I could not see what it was."   
  
"But if you were watching the whole thing, why didn't you rescue your sisters yourself?" Wolf asked.   
  
Angela's voice quivered. "I tried, but every time I did Bluebeard had some sort of spell put on the house so I was unable to enter though it was only barred for me. Remember, he knows me, he knew I would be coming. After I heard about the Four Who Saved the Nine Kingdoms, I was hoping that you would help me."   
  
"We'll see what we can do," Virginia said.  
  
"Don't fret, we will rescue them," Frick said. "Upon my well, immortal life."   
  
Wolf nodded, but uncertainly. "And my wolf word."   
  
"And my uh," Virginia said looking uncertain. "Okay, just I promise all right?"   
  
Angela smiled and wiped away a tear. "Thank you, one thing might help," She reached into her bag to pull out a long green cloak. "This was a gift from my grandmothers. She used to say 'If you wear this coat of green/you will follow and not be seen.' It was how she told us she caught her husband. I tried wearing it into the house to disguise myself, but it never worked."   
  
Virginia took it and nodded thanks as the three continued their meal and prepared to set off.   
  
It was late night in Naked City. The only thing out were pickpockets and the occasional drunken straggler. Wolf, Virginia, and Frick walked towards the Palace of Beauty. Wolf stopped in front of them to block Virginia's path. "I don't like this idea, Virginia," he said. "The Bluebeards have been known to slaughter women. I don't want anything to happen to you again."   
  
"I understand," she said soft, but determined. "But I'll be fine, I promise."   
  
The three of them ducked behind one of the bushes and saw Bluebeard open the door to his house and enter. "I think I'd better go in," Virginia said. "You two wait outside and help them escape."   
  
Frick grabbed her by the wrist. "No, it should be me."   
  
Virginia held the gnome down. "You waited hundreds of years to see her again, you can at least wait ten whole minutes."   
  
"Virginia, no," Wolf said.   
  
She pointed at the far left. "That window leads to the gallery, you two wait out there." She then put on the green cloak and disappeared amidst Wolf's protests.   
  
Frick headed for the spot, but Wolf held him back. "Could you please do something with her?"   
  
Frick grabbed Wolf's wrist to push him up. "Look, if you were in my place and that were Virginia in there, what would you do?" Wolf didn't hesitate for a moment, and followed Frick to the spot.   
  
Virginia followed Bluebeard's slow sauntering walk. Even though she was invisible, she held her breath in anticipation and dread as if in fear the spell would break at any moment. Bluebeard walked up the steps as they creaked underneath his feet. The room had an eerie silence over the darkness. Virginia kept her pace behind him. She followed until he came up the stairs to a cabinet and stopped. He opened the side door and pulled out a small blood red key. Then he unlocked the cabinet door filled with trinkets. He pushed a round one forward. A compartment small enough to fit Bluebeard's hand opened. He stuck his hand in and fished out a green bottle. Virginia stepped back as he closed the door and walked downstairs.   
  
Virginia followed the gallery owner as he approached his beloved gallery. She followed quickly, but was afraid that her steps might be heard so she slowed her pace. The two approached the far end where Bluebeard's Exotic Beauty was kept. He removed the curtain and unlocked her door. Bluebeard then stood up and opened the woman's mouth and poured a drop of the liquid down her throat.   
  
Virginia watched in fascination as the woman opened her eyes and looked around her. She came face to face with Bluebeard and spat in his face. "Charming to the last, my love," Bluebeard said.   
  
"I am not your love," the woman said determined in a soft lisping voice. "You disgust me, you animal!"   
  
"I give you another chance as I ask every night, if you will be mine alive, or as my creation," Bluebeard said angry and in a tone that indicated he was tired of asking. "Now, will be mine? Remember, more than two drops of this and your sleep will be permanent."   
  
Morgan glowered at the man her eyes practically red with anger. "Then you had better do it now! I do nothing for your pleasure!"   
  
Bluebeard sighed, "Sometimes I think that my father had the right idea," he said. "Women are best when they are silent!" He then opened the bottle and gave her two drops as her body stiffened then once more became unconscious but alive.   
  
Virginia bit back a gasp, and stepped aside to allow Bluebeard to walk past. She followed him up the stairs as he removed the key and bottle back to their original positions then walked downstairs and headed out the door.   
  
Virginia waited until she was completely sure that he was gone. Then she walked up to the cabinet and turned to the side. She inspected it with her fingers to find any type of false bottom or trick, but then saw a slight change in the wood as though one section was smaller than the other. She lifted the wood, then pulled out the key. With speed and caution, Virginia then opened the cabinet door and found the silver round trinket. She held her breath and lifted it upwards. It opened to reveal once more the small compartment. She stuck her hand in and pulled out the bottle. She read the contents "The Everlasting Sleep. Two drops to cause to sleep, One drop to restore/But careful permanent death results in more." She then read a small warning at the bottom, "Number of drops indicated simultaneous drops. Do not use the Everlasting Sleep while operating heavy machinery. The Herbalists of the Nine Kingdoms Warning: This product may result in some serious side effects depending on user."   
  
Virginia then put the bottle in her pocket, and relocked the cabinet door and put the key back in its' place. She then walked down the stairs slowly. She used Bluebeard's key to open the gallery door and removed her cloak. As she walked in her heart practically caught in her throat. The place was spooky enough in the daytime, but now at night, it was particularly fearful, silent, and dark. A tap on the window made her jump in fright. Virginia looked up at the window to see Wolf and Frick trying to get her attention. She waved at them as if to say almost got it, then walked over to Morgan's cabinet. Like Bluebeard before her, Virginia undid the curtain and opened the glass. She then poured a drop into Morgan's mouth.  
  
Morgan blinked then opened her eyes and looked around fearfully. Virginia wasn't sure what the other woman would do, after all she was a complete stranger to her. At the very least, she hoped she wouldn't scream her head off.   
  
But Morgan didn't scream. Virginia undid the bonds around her ankles and wrists. "Who are you?" Morgan asked warily and suspiciously. "Are we enemies? Why are you helping me?"   
  
Yep, she's Mordred's mother all right, Virginia thought sarcastically. "Look, there's no time to explain," she said quickly. "My name is Virginia Wolf and I'm here to rescue you."   
  
"You're who?" Morgan said even more incredulously.  
  
"Look, I'm here with Frick and-"Virginia began.  
  
Suddenly, Morgan's eyes softened and she jumped down from the pedestal as if someone hit her. "Frick, where is he?"   
  
"He's right outside, help me with these other women!" Virginia said. Morgan nodded as the two unlocked the next cabinet to let the next woman out.   
  
From outside Wolf and Frick opened the window as the first woman was released. They grabbed her by the hands and hoisted her up to the outside. "Angela sent you didn't she?" she asked.   
  
"Yes, she did," Wolf said helping her out. "We'll take you to her as soon as we free the others." The woman stayed and helped Wolf and Frick get the other women out.   
  
After a few minutes, almost all of the women were freed. Wolf and Frick clasped hands delighted, when out of the corner of his eye Wolf saw someone he didn't want to see. "Cripes," he said then put his hand on Frick's head and swiveled it to look in the direction that he was pointing.   
  
Just as he suspected, Frick's reaction was about the same. "Oh dear Lord, he's back," Frick gasped watching Bluebeard cross the road.   
  
Wolf called into the gallery, "Virginia, Bluebeard's coming back! Hurry up!"   
  
"All right," Virginia called back then turned to Morgan. "How many are left?"   
  
"Three," Morgan said as she awoke another woman. This woman woke up and walked down the cabinet. "I'm sorry, make that two." Morgan added.   
  
Bluebeard didn't hear or see the commotion in the back room, so he walked into his house and up the stairs. He was about to unlock his compartment, when he saw the lock. Blood poured out! Someone had been here, he thought. He then walked downstairs to the gallery. The door was closed but once again he saw the blood pour out of the lock and could hear the commotion in the room. He opened the door to see Virginia and Morgan Le Fey, his Exotic Beauty help the last of the eleven princesses out of the gallery.   
  
Morgan looked behind her and screamed. Virginia grabbed Morgan from behind and helped her up. "Get out of here," she said. "I'll hold him off!" Without another word, Morgan ran out of the gallery.   
  
Two of the women helped her stand as she saw a very familiar sight. She smiled and ran up to him delighted. "Frick!" She called running into his arms.   
  
"Morgan, my love!" Frick called back. The two embraced and kissed passionately.   
  
"I missed you so much," she said.   
  
"And I you," he agreed.  
  
Wolf smiled appreciatively, but then looked around in concern "Where's Virginia?"   
  
Inside the gallery, Bluebeard was fuming. He towered over Virginia and grabbed her by the wrist, his pale face looking menacingly. "You stole my Exotic Beauty from me," he said his voice quivering. "Maybe I'll just take you instead!"   
  
Virginia gave a slight scream as Wolf leaped down from the window and growled at Bluebeard, his eyes glowing yellow! He lunged and clawed at the man and pushed him down so hard. The gallery owner fell to the ground.   
  
Wolf held Virginia in his arms for a few quiet seconds in comfort. "Let's get out of here," she said.   
  
Virginia and Wolf climbed out of the gallery as Frick and Morgan helped them stand. Frick, polite as ever, made the introductions. "Morgan Le Fey, these are my new friends, Virginia and Wolf, Virginia, Wolf, this is Morgan Le Fey, my beloved."   
  
"Morgan smiled at the compliment then shook Virginia and Wolf's hands. "Now that we are all acquainted, will someone please tell me what the devil is going on?"   
  
When they were all safely back at Angela's hideout and the princess reunited with her sisters, Virginia, Wolf, and Frick did their best to catch Morgan up to speed about the events including their mission to the 7th Kingdom. She also explained to them what had been happening with her since Frick last saw her.  
  
"The first thing I remember was opening my eyes and feeling this intense pain more than any I had ever felt before," she said. "This fairy stood over me and said that I was to be used for another purpose and suddenly I found myself in Bluebeard's gallery. My ankles and wrists were tied with ribbons and I was on a pedestal. That was about a year ago and I have been with him ever since. Bluebeard told me I belonged to him and that I would never be able to escape. A few times I tried. Once when he was about to give me the drops I tried to push him over and push my way out, but he magically barred me from leaving the gallery, so the other girls or myself couldn't go anywhere. It was awful, I could see and I could hear, but I was not able to speak or move. I was trapped! I saw you three earlier, and I wanted to call to you, but of course I could not!" Her voice caught with emotion as she and Frick embraced. Eventually, she dried her eyes and returned to normalcy. "But now I am glad to be out of that awful place!"   
  
"You're with us now," Frick said. Virginia and Wolf nodded.   
  
Angela turned to the others. "Thank you so much, for rescuing my family. I can not thank you enough. I will go forth on my promise. At the edge of the kingdom, there is a small road that leads you to a river. Cross that river but be foewarned, the kingdom is run by elves so there may be all kinds of magic traps to deal with. Also, the graveyeard of lost memories is at the far end, so be careful."   
  
"Thank you," Virginia said.   
  
"When do we start?" Morgan asked.   
  
"WE???" Virginia and Wolf said in unison.   
  
"Yes, you think I am going to let you have all the fun do you? After being trapped by that man for too long, I am not about to miss this chance," she said, but then her voice became more serious. "All right, I'm not exactly excited about the idea of meeting Arthur or Merlin again, since we didn't exactly part on good terms, but if Frick is with them then they must be all right."   
  
"Of course you can come," Frick said. "You think after being separated from you for hundreds of years I would say goodbye to you again!"   
  
"Not like you could," Morgan said slyly.   
  
"It's all right with me," Virginia said.   
  
"Sure come along," Wolf said. "I'm sure the goblin could use some company."  
  
"Beats yours," Frick shot back. Virginia rolled her eyes, but smiled a thin smile and Morgan looked confused, but laughed.   
  
"You can sleep here for the night and set off the next morning," Angela said.   
  
The four looked from one to another and wordlessly agreed. 


	6. Chapter Six: The Goose Princess

The Dragon and The Snow Chapter Six: The Goose Princess  
  
Now that your rose is in bloom  
  
A light hits the gloom   
  
On the gray  
  
~ From "Kiss From A Rose" by Seal   
  
Wendell sat near the fire eying the gypsies as they eyed him back. It had been several hours since he and Mordred were found by them and they invited them to stay with them for the night, but Wendell knew how to behave around them and to never trust them.   
  
He recalled the conversation that he had with Mordred about the gypsies earlier:   
  
"Do not refuse anything they offer do not consume anything that you don't see them eat first, and for God's sake if they have any magical birds do not set them free!"   
  
"You sound like you know them rather well," Mordred quipped.   
  
"I didn't meet them Antony, Wolf, and Virginia did and told me about it. I was indisposed at the time," Wendell said testily.   
  
"What were you doing?" Mordred asked.  
  
"I had a bad experience," Wendell said in a tone that indicated he did not want to say more.   
  
One of the gypsies a very large man holding an even larger knife grinned widely at the two visitors. "Ah, your highness!Our clan has been loyal to King Wendell since our cousinds did their best to help you when you were transfomred into a dog!"  
  
Ignoring the blatant fabrication to the story, Wendell glanced over at Mordred who was barely concealing a look of sarcastic amusement. "Indeed, a dog you say?"   
  
Wendell glared at his traveling companion but turned to the gypsy. "Sir, my companion and I really need to get to the Second Kingdom, we shall not trouble you any further."  
  
The man held up his knife and as is on cue the others held up theirs. "We insist that you stay with us your highness," the man replied sharply.   
  
"On the other hand," Wendell said quickly. "We could use a rest."   
  
That was several hours ago and Wendell took bites out of the food he was offered. The gypsies were laughing and dancing around the fire. Mordred sat down next to the young king. From the tipsy way he swayed, Wendell could guess that he had sampled more than enough of their ale. Mordred was about to open his mouth, but Wendell cut him off sharply. "Mordred I am sure you have a whole stack of 'the king used to be a dog jokes' but I can almost assure you that the punchline to everyone of them is 'Your highness will you please remove your sword from my stomach?'"   
  
"I wasn't going to say anything" Mordred replied. "Well not yet anyway. You got any plans for getting us out of here," He said in a whisper indicating that he had an idea.  
  
"No do you?" He said glibly.  
  
"Yes I call it swords and plenty of them," Mordred said fiercely.   
  
"You are not going to kill them," Wendell commanded.  
  
"Do you have a better idea?" Mordred said.   
  
"We need to at least find out what they are planning on doing with us first," Wendell said.  
  
"It mgiht involve decorating their caravans with our heads," Mordred said. The two whispered fiercely back and forth when the large gypsy called to their attention.   
  
"Your highness my people will lead you across the forest into the Second Kingdom."  
  
"Thank you," Wendell said. "I highly appreciate it."   
  
"For a price," The gypsy replied.   
  
"Didn't see that one coming did you?" Mordred mocked.   
  
Wendell hit the knight with a savage look. "Name it."  
  
"We will ask for your swords," the gypsy commanded.   
  
Wendell felt the sword in his hilt. "I'm sorry but I cannot do that" Wendell said. "My sword is sacred to me, it was a gift from my father." Not to mention the fact that I am not going anywhere with Mordred unarmed, Wendell thought. "I shall pay you in gold coins, I have plenty of those," he said aloud.   
  
The gypsy smiled his teeth almost gleaming in the moonlight. "Yes we shall take those and your swords."   
  
Wendell hesitated then removed his sword from its hilt and handed it to the men along with the gold coins he promised. The gypsy collected then turned to Mordred. "Now you," he said. Mordred glared fiercely at the man and stood, his face rigid and defiant. He quickly removed the sword from his scabbard pointing it right at the man. The gypsies gasped and Wendell reared back in surprise. Mordred then turned the sword around so the hilt faced the gypsy and handed it to him sitting back down. The gypsy took the new prizes and nodded thank you to the two men.   
  
An older woman rose from the opposite end of the fire. Her white hair hung over her shoulders and she looked at the two men eagerly. "I will read you both now starting with the king."   
  
She looked down at her cards as she set them out in formation. Wendell looked down to see a card with a young girl waking up from sleep surrounded by nine swords. "You have suffered a tremendous burden recently one of many which you feel you are too blame."Wendell nodded said nothing as she laid down another card. "You have been tormented by images of both your past and your future." She then laid down one last one. "I see a great battle which will test you."  
  
"Can you see the victor?" Wendell asked.   
  
The gypsy looked closely. "It depends on how these threads are. That one could bring about your death." She nodded in Mordred's direction. "Now I shall hear from you," she said. Wendell stood up and Mordred practically sauntered next to the woman.   
  
She shuffled her deck and put down a two of swords. "You have committed a grievous sin one in which you paid for with your life." She looked closely at the knight as if looking inside him. Mordred felt very uncomfortable with how closely she stared at him. "You have the stench of the Underworld in you!"   
  
"That's one way of describing it," Mordred said sarcastically.   
  
The gypsy pretended not to hear him as she laid down another card. "Your heart is heavier than you would like it to be."   
  
"Wasn't aware that I had one," Mordred muttered. The gypsy laid down one last card: The king of swords. "You shall fight your greatest adversary you shall win and you shall lose."   
  
Mordred's eyes widened. "What the bloody hell-?"   
  
The gypsy woman looked up and smiled. "You are both welcome to stay for the night!"   
  
Wendell smiled. "Thank you madam we will take you up on that offer."   
  
Wendell walked across the hallway timidly. He didn't want anyone to hear him walking around the palace past his bedtime or worse realizing that he woke up because of a nightmare! He tiptoed past Nanny Christina's room. He definitely didn't want to wake her. Even though she was really nice and played with the young prince often, sometimes she scared him like the other night when he sneaked up behind her and saw her pouring his mother's drink. She grabbed him and asked him what he had seen shaking him hard. He told her he hadn't seen anything, eventually she let him go. But she told him not to tell anyone that she had been there or she would tell his parents that he was there too. Wendell didn't know what she meant, but he agreed.   
  
Wendell walked past his parent's room. The light was on and he could hear his father speaking softly and almost sadly. Wendell poked his head in. His mother Ashley wasn't feeling very well, maybe Papa was trying to help her feel better! He could see his father sitting next to the bedside his ebony head hanging down. All around the room he could see his father's courtiers fully dressed and standing silent including the two newer younger ones.15 year old Lord Rupert and 17 year old Count Vronsky were standing on opposite ends of Wendells' parents' wardrobe their faces down, but Wendell could not see why. He could see Rupert and Vronsky through the crack in the door, but the other courtiers were around his parents' bed. Why were they all in his parents' room? What was going on? Feeling his chest fill with fear, Wendell opened the door further to see his father sitting on their bed. At first King Whitney did not look up, but after a few minutes he looked at his son. Wendell walked into the bedroom closer, he could see his father's face was pale and his eyes were red. Had he been crying? His father never cried! Wendell looked closer to see his mother, Queen Ashley lying in bed. Her red curly hair spilled past her shoulders and down to her ankles. She was still dressed in her long white nightgown and she was asleep. She is just asleep, Wendell told himself but why are all of these people around her? Wendell walked closer and gently pushed his mother. "Mummy, mummy you need to wake up," he said softly.   
  
"Wendell," King Whitney said softly but firmly. "I need to tell you something, your mother is not going to wake up."   
  
But the young prince would not hear him. He continued to push his mother a little harder. "Mummy! Mummy! You need to wake up, please open your eyes," he pleaded.   
  
The courtiers began speaking at once. "Your mother can't be with you, lad!" "Maybe he should go back to his room." "Leave him alone, for God's sake!" Wendell continued calling for his mother, as one of the men either Giles or Griswold, Wendell couldn't tell which one picked him up. Wendell looked over the man's shoulder. "Mummy! Mummy!" He screamed, his voice echoing down the hall in pain. He only hoped it would be loud enough to wake his mother.   
  
Startled, Wendell woke from his dream and rubbed his eyes. He was no longer in his parents' bedroom hoping his mother would wake up, instead he was still in the gypsy camp and looking out at a starry moonlit night. Thank God it isn't full, Wendell thought, The last thing that Virginia needs is that husband of hers going mad again. I hope they are all right and Antony as well, he thought hopeful that he would at least see them again.   
  
"Bad dream?" Mordred said startling Wendell out of his somber thoughts.  
  
"More like a bad memory," Wendell muttered. He looked closely at the other man as if seeing him for the first time. The gypsy woman's words entered his mind "You have the stench of the Underworld in you." He also remembered when they first met and Mordred saying something about being brought into the world to take his father out of it. He opened his mouth trying to say something, but then decided on a different tactic.  
  
"May I ask you something?" Wendell asked.   
  
"Do I have to answer?" Mordred said but something in his tone indicated that there was no sting in his voice and that Wendell could ask away.   
  
"What's it like you know down there?" He pointed downwards.   
  
"It's hot, excrutiating, and full of demons," Mordred answered. "Alright let me tell you better, close your eyes. Go on then." Wendell complied as Mordred continued. "Now imagine the worst moments in your life, not just the annoying ones the ones that ripped your insides out. But imagine not having to live them once and be done with it.  
  
Imagine reliving them every second of every day and knowing that it will never end."  
  
"Do you feel anything from all of this?" Wendell asked.  
  
"No," Mordred said.   
  
"Or from what you did to get there?" Wendell went on. "After all you just said-"  
  
"No!" Mordred said even more firmly. "It was like when I was alive! I feel bits and pieces here and there but nothing solid. Nothing that stays." As if realizing he said more than he intended to, Mordred turned away from the other man leaving Wendell to wonder if he was fully telling the truth or not.   
  
The next morning, Mordred woke up a little earlier than Wendell. He had a job to do that he intended to finish. He sneaked over to the caravan where he saw the weapons and reached for one. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the large gypsy man who met Wendell and Mordred the other night. He was deep in conversation with another man a large blond man with a scar on his right cheek and bow and arrows draped expertly around his body. Mordred could definitely see the two men exchanging gold coins. He didn't know what they were talking about but his instincts told him it wasn't good and that more than likely he and Wendell were the subject of conversation.   
  
"What's the matter?" Wendell asked sleepily.   
  
"I think our friends are planning to betray us." Mordred said. "I saw the gypsy talking to a man with a bow and arrow. They exchanged gold just now!"  
  
Wendell's eyes widened. "A hunter! We are in trouble, they are hired killers. With no weapons we have to leave here."   
  
"And I know how!" Mordred motioned Wendell to follow him to one of the carts and invited Wendell to come up with him.   
  
"You are stealing one of their carts!?" Wendell accused.   
  
"You have a better idea?" Realizing he had none Wendell jumped on the cart after Mordred and Mordred hitched the horses to ride. The horses galloped away as the commotion dragged the gypsies out of their sleep.  
  
Wendell looked behind him seeing the gypsies mounting their horses and running after them on foot gaining. "Out of curiosity do we have a plan B?"   
  
"As a matter of fact yes," Mordred replied. He then took out one of the crossbows from the back of the cart and fired it. The arrow hit the closest gypsy. The young gypsy fell over.   
  
"You stole their weapons?" Wendell said shocked. "When?"  
  
"Last night," Mordred said. "They were planning on betraying us."   
  
"You did not know that then," Wendell reminded him.  
  
"So I borrowed them until I did know," Mordred retorted. "Besides I have a little present for you." He took out Wendell's sword and handed it to him. "Don't say I never gave you anything." Wendell glanced over at his traveling companion quizzically.   
  
Suddenly there was a silence, Wendell gulped. "Worse than I thought. They called off the hunt, if memory serves from what the others told me that means they will curse us."  
  
"With what?" Mordred asked.   
  
"I don't know," Wendell replied. "When Virginia was cursed by them all she did was set some magic birds free that they had caught. Thanks to you we stole a cart, stole some of their weapons, returned back the gifts we gave them, and killed one of their men. Under the circumstances, I imagine the curse will be a lot worse."   
  
Hawke paced angrily as the gypsies returned. "Well," he growled.   
  
"We were not able to reach them sir," one of them said. Hakwe rolled his eyes. He didn't know why he had stooped so low as to hire gypsies after all they were vulgar, stupid, and lazy. They would take the gold and not do anything, but he knew he had to do this. For the Queen's sake and his fellow Hunters, but particularly for their leader. The Huntsman never had another name that Hawke knew but he was more like a father to him than his real one and he knew the Huntsman felt the same for him. He told him after he lost his son (though he never said how the boy died), he saw in him the hunting spirit that he hoped his son would have had. The least Hawke could do was bring his killer's to justice or rather his style of justice. It wasn't just the money he would have done it for free.   
  
"Why did you call them off?" he turned to the gypsy woman furious.   
  
"You wish to catch them do you not?" she asked in a tone meaning that she knew he did.   
  
"I will take care of it," she called one of her fellow gypsies over. "Bring me one of our horseshoes," she said. The gypsy nodded and stepped into the trees. Hawke then heard a loud sound like a clang against metal and heard a horse cry out in agony. Then the gypsy reappeared with a horseshoe in his hand. The gypsy woman smiled. "They are approaching the river," she said. "They will fall either by your hand or by the rivers." She then chanted a phrase putting her hands on the horseshoe her eyes glowing as she spoke.   
  
Hawke grinned as he mounted his horse and rode off to catch his prey.   
  
Mordred and Wendell continued to ride widely through the forest. "I think we lost them," Mordred said.   
  
"That was too easy," Wendell said warily. "I know that they cursed us."   
  
"Will you stop with your curses?" Mordred said. "We are fine!" Just as he said that one of the wheels to the carriage fell off. Wendell glared at Mordred who sheepishly added. "Just a coincidence?"  
  
Soon after that the second back wheel fell off. The carriage spiraled madly as the two men struggled to keep onto the reins. "And that? Was that a concidence too?" Wendell asked sharply.   
  
"Sure it was," Mordred said unsure this time. Then the two men jerked forward as the horses collapsed to the ground. The force knocked Wendell and Mordred off the front seat and onto the ground on top of the deceased steeds and right on a cliff overlooking a river.   
  
"And that one? What was that?" Wendell couldn't resist asking.   
  
"Just come on," Mordred commanded as he grasped his sword in hand Wendell reached for his sword, but motioned to Mordred as the carriage dangled above the cliff.   
  
"Watch yourself and how we get out of here," he said. "We could fall into Lorelei River."  
  
"How do we get up then?" Mordred asked moving his feet and once again the cart dangled over the cliffs. He then looked over his head and saw the answer to his own question. He picked up one of the gypsies daggers and fired it at a vine above one of the trees. The vine fell as Mordred held onto it swinging slightly off the carriage and onto the ground. He briefly entertained the notion of just leaving the king there, but then decided instead to toss the vine to him. Wendell reluctantly grabbed it and swung slightly to the cliff just as the cart lost its grip falling to the river below.   
  
"Well we lost the cart and your hard earned weapons," Wendell said sarcastically. "But at least we are alive."   
  
"For how long?" a voice asked. The two men turned around to see the hunter looking at him. His arrow pointed towards them. "You two are coming with me," he said.   
  
"Who sends you?" Wendell asked.   
  
"It does not matter she wants you dead," Hawke replied emphasizing the "you" leaving Wendell with an unspoken thought that he meant to leave someone else alive. He glanced over at Mordred. But Hawke spoke for him. "I shall kill your knight as well."   
  
Despite the gravity of the situation, Wendell almost laughed. "My knight? Oh he isn't my knight! You mean-" Who did he want alive then?   
  
Before another word could come out, Mordred drew his own sword. Hawke was prepared for such an encounter as he drew his bow and arrow but before he could fire it, Mordred fired one of his daggers at the hunter. The arrow fell out of the hunter's hand, but he attacked Mordred by his hand. The two pummelled at each other fighting unaware they were approaching the chasm. Wendell picked up Mordred's sword which fell to the ground in a scuffle ready to hit the Hunter over the head with the blunt end. The hunter surprised by the attack grabbed Wendell by the wrist and pushed him the force indirectly causing him to lose his balance and fall into Mordred as the two fell over the side into the roaring water below.   
  
Lynette walked into Naked City keeping herself hidden from most people but keeping her eyes on the crowds of people, for her targets. She couldn't find Virginia Wolf, her husband, nor that gnome anywhere. She asked a local if he knew of any visitors and he responded drunkenly of course, that he saw three people of their description entering the town but they were gone. She cursed under her breath, then felt overcome by a splitting headache. Rolling her eyes, the female hunter picked up her hand mirror and saw the visage of Queen Hilda.  
  
"Well did you find them yet," she asked.   
  
Lynette nodded. "I am in Naked City where they were last, my queen," she said. "But I see no trace of them."   
  
"Find anyone who may know of them and return to the 4th Kingdom. I have matters that I would like to discuss with you."   
  
Fearful but not wanting to show it, Lynetter nodded. "Yes, my queen." The mirror then went blank.   
  
Lynette looked up to see a building known as the Palace of Beauty. She thought it over, Virginia Wolf did travel with two men. Either one of them, the gnome perhaps, could have solicited some company for the night. The door was wide open so she went inside. She called "hello" several times before she could see that the basement door was open. "Hello?" she called. A man was seated in a bench overlooking an empty glass case. Around him were eleven other empty cases. She called to him again and he stood up. She could see that he was rather tall and had a long blue beard that carried down to his ankles.   
  
"Are you the proprieter of this establishment?" Lynette asked roughly.   
  
"I am and what do you want of me," the man asked.   
  
"I am looking for three strangers, a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes, her husband a half-wolf with dark hair and yellow eyes, and their companion a gnome he could take many forms but last I saw of him he had long yellow hair."  
  
At the woman's description the man's eyes narrowed further and further and his face became almost red with fury. Lynette knew she had found the right man!   
  
"Yes I do know of them," he said savagely. "They took my Exotic Beauty away from me!"  
  
Lynette smiled thinly. "How would you like me to help you get her back?" she asked.   
  
Bluebeard's eyes widened at the offer. "What would I have to do?"   
  
Lynette shrugged. "Come with me to the 4th Kingdom, I am sure you can find those who would help you." Bluebeard smiled wickedly and followed the young attractive woman out the door.   
  
The river seemed to grab at Wendell and pull him down. He tried to hold onto the rocks but the current kept pushing him along. He was never a very fast swimmer and in a rocky rapids such as these it was almost impossible to maintain anything resembling balance. For Wendell it was just a struggle to keep his head above water, but every time he tried to move his head up the waves would crash into him and fill his nose and mouth forcing him back under again! Wendell felt with each struggle of the waves it was useless to hold on. He felt a large gust of water through him face first into the water and felt his strength leave him. So this is what it's like to die. Funny not at all like I expected, he thought. The water pushed him even further under as he thought of his friends Virginia, Wolf, Antony and those new people Merlin, Nimue, and Frick, and his people. Would they be all right without him? How would they learn of his death? He felt a vision of someone's arm grabbing him forcefully out of the water and force him from the waves and that was the last thing he felt before he completely gave into blackness.   
  
The first thing Wendell felt when he awoke were soft hands gently placed upon his face. "It's allright," a soft female voice said gently. It was a voice that was instantely pleasant to listen too almost girlish. Wendell opened his eyes slowly to see a young woman looking back at him. She looked about his age to a few years younger. She had golden hair tied into a long loose braid and wore a white dress. She looked at him with large kind blue eyes and a small winsome face.   
  
"Is he dead can we eat him?" a sharp tongued female voice asked in a sarcastic tone.   
  
"Behave yourself, Cora," the woman turned to the direction of the speaker but then turned back to the invalid king. "Welcome back, for a moment I thought that we had lost you."   
  
"I hope that I am not dead, but if this is a dream I hope that I do not wake up," Wendell said weakly.  
  
The woman laughed at the compliment. "How long have I been asleep?" Wendell asked.   
  
"Two days," the woman responded. Wendell started uncomfortably. He was prepared to hear a few hours, or even several, but two whole days? What was going on here had this woman drugged him?  
  
As if reading his mind, the young woman spoke in a reassuring voice. "My lady-in-waiting Cora found you and your companion washed up along the shore. She and a hunting party carried you back to the palace, you two were almost dead."   
  
Wendell regained enough strength to sit up and look around the room. It was beautifully furnished with older antiques. White curtains, furniture, and bedclothes were prevelant. A baby grand piano sat on one side of the room. Oil paintings filled the walls. One in particular caught Wendell's eye. It was of a woman who looked almost exactely like the woman who was speaking to him dressed in a long violet evening gown and draped in a red robe wearing a gold crown.   
  
Another woman stood by the doorway, one foot propped against the open door and standing on the other. Wendell assumed she was the one that the other woman called "Cora." That name sounded vaguely familiar to Wendell, but he couldn't quite place where. Cora had short neck length dark hair tied in a tight French braid down her back and was dressed in a white pirate blouse and dark riding trousers. A sword hung expertly at her side and she looked at Wendell with mistrust and apprehension.   
  
"Well I must thank you both for rescuing me and sending me here," Wendell said. "If only I knew where "here" was."   
  
The blond woman laughed again. "You are in the Second Kingdom."   
  
Wendell sighed with relief. The Second Kingdom! What a stroke of luck, but Wendell knew more than likely it was not luck. He offered a silent thanks to his late grandmother, Snow White before he spoke again looking around "Where is Mordred?" he asked.   
  
"Mordred, is that the other man you were with?" the woman asked. "He is asleep in the next room. In fact," she turned to her lady-in-waiting. "Cora, if Mordred is awake why don't you tell him that King Wendell has awaken."   
  
Cora looked extremely reluctant, but then sauntered off to follow her mistress' orders.  
  
Wendell could not shake the vague feeling of apprehension he felt about this woman. "You know who I am then?"   
  
The woman nodded. "Father attended your coronation three years ago. I wanted to come as well, but at the time Father would not let me go anywhere outside the palace grounds."   
  
Wendell nodded. So this woman was Royalty, just as he suspected. He rubbed his chin in an almost teasing manner. "Second Kingdom, I know you are not Red Riding Hood III, since I have seen her many times more times than I would care to see her. So you must be either Hildegarde, Gretel the Great's grandaughter or Leda, the Goose Princess' grandaughter."   
  
The woman smiled. "I am Leda. I'm surprised you know me. Our part of the kingdom is not nearly as vast as the other two's." Wendell smiled. He liked this woman.   
  
He looked at the closed door, that's why the name Cora sounded so familiar! "Hmm, Cora, Cora isn't that the same name as the lady-in-waiting who briefly impersonated your grandmother and made her serve as a goose girl?"  
  
Leda nodded. "The very same, our Cora is that Cora's granddaughter."   
  
Wendell was amazed. "You mean you have the relative of one of your family's worst enemies working for you? Don't you worry about what she could do to you?"  
  
Leda shook her head as if the idea would be inconceivable. "No I learned a long time ago that Cora is not her grandmother."   
  
"How?" Wendell asked.   
  
"I'll tell you sometime," Leda said. "For now you probably need your rest. If you are hungry dinner will be ready at 7 precisely if you are hungry."   
  
Wendell grinned. "Well there is something I need to ask you while I'm here, I guess I could stay for supper," he said but then looked down and felt embarrassed. "I am very suddenly aware that I am dressed in nothing but a nightshirt." He blushed as Leda gently handed him his clothes making sure that she turned away and left the room before things got improper.   
  
Cora walked into the other bedroom. It was dark and still. She could see the body of the man laying down in the bed. His breathing was still as though he were asleep, but his straight body showed that he was only feigning sleep. Cora drew her sword and pointed it at the man's neck. "If you so much as touch any of your weapons while I am in here I will personally remove your head," she threatened.   
  
Mordred moved to face the young woman. She was rather pretty in a haughty annoying sort of way. "Well I never thought that any hired assasins would be so lovely, but I am willing to make an exception," he said.   
  
Cora rolled her eyes. "Save your breath. I am only here to inform you that the king has awakened as well. Now your companion I know is King Wendell, but from what I heard the 4th Kingdom has been under attack and the king is missing, but what I cannot figure out is who you are and whether you had anything to do with it."   
  
"My name is Mordred and I am traveling with him not entirely on my own free will," he said. "And that is all you need to know from me and who might you be?"   
  
"My name is Cora and you are in the Second Kingdom and that is all you need to know from me," Cora repeated she was about to leave when she turned back to face him. "Oh and should you want to eat dinner will be ready at 7 as usual."   
  
"Wonderful," Mordred said sarcastically, the then realized that he was undressed! "Hey, where are my clothes?" But he sat back down a seductive leer on his face. "Never mind then I'm sure you and I could get comfortable."  
  
Furious, Cora took his clothes from the wardrobe and threw them on him. She took mild delight in the slight grunt of pain he had as they landed on him. He reached for his shirt and was about to put it on when he realized that Cora was still there watching him. He leered and gave a mock bow. Cora blushed furiously and ran out the door slamming it shut behind her.  
  
Cora and Leda sat across from each other at the dinner table discussing their new visitors, when the door opened and Wendell walked in fully dressed. "Good evening ladies," he said.   
  
"Good evening your majesty," Leda replied.   
  
"Please, you may call me Wendell," Wendell invited.   
  
"Alright and you may call me Leda," Leda said. The two stared at each other for a long time so much that Cora had to roll her eyes.  
  
" You may call me bored," Cora muttered under her breath and cleared her throat breaking the two out of their trance.   
  
Mordred walked downstairs to the dining room. He nodded at Leda and at Cora, particularly at Cora who pretended to turn away and not aknowledge his nod. Then he looked over at Wendell.  
  
"Good to see you are awake," Wendell said in a robotic nonchalant tone.   
  
"Yes well you too," Mordred said just as robotic. The women looked at each other, they could tell there was some sort of friction between the two men.   
  
Leda clapped her hands and ordered one of her servants to serve food to the new guests. "Thank you," Wendell said. The four ate for a bit in silence, until Wendell broke the quiet. "Ladies, actually it is very fortutious that we are here in your kingdom, because we were sent here to the Second Kingdom to meet someone. Do you two know of a woman called Baba Yagga?" Leda and Cora looked at each other terror blanched on their faces. "We need to speak to her."   
  
Leda and Cora exchanged frightened glances, but Leda finally spoke for them. "Yes I know of Baba Yagga, she is a terrible woman, a witch who lives in the Black Forest. That's right outside of my kingdom in fact, but I would advise you not to go there under any circumstances."   
  
"But we must," Wendell said desperately.   
  
Mordred smiled. "Now I'm sure it might be rough on you girls, but I can assure you that us men can handle it."  
  
Cora shook her head and turned to Wendell. "No it isn't like that. Your Majesty, please I agree with Leda. You should not go in there. Many have often gone into the Black Forest, but hardly anyone has come out. Those that have either die shortly afterwards, or come out stark raving madmen! Not to mention Baba Yagga herself. Anyone who goes into that forest is sure to die or turn mad!" She then turned to Mordred. "Sir Mordred, enjoy your trip!"  
  
Wendell turned to Leda. "Yes, I'm sure there are dangers but we, or rather I have to go in there. It's for my people."  
  
Leda looked from her lady in waiting who continued to shake her head, and then back to the king. "Well, allright, I can help you. In fact I really can help you! I do not know where exactely in the Black Forest Baba Yagga is. Rumours and stories mostly, but I know someone who more than likely would. He is very wise and he advises me on many matters. Would you care to meet him?" Wendell stood up and offered his arm to which Leda held it by the shoulder.  
  
"It would be my pleasure to have you help me," he said and the two of them left the room leaving Mordred and Cora glaring at each other, but then returning back to their food.   
  
Wendell and Leda stood outside in a field as Leda reached into her pocket and pulled out a small gold disc. She opened it and pulled out a white gossamer handkerchief.   
  
"Is that your grandmother's handkerchief?" Wendell asked. "The one that protected her from harm?"  
  
Leda nodded. "It is a family heirloom it has been around for three generations." She then held it in her hand and whistled a strange low whistle into it and then spoke. "Falada, faithful Falada come to your golden princess' aid!" Just then a beautiful white horse galloped out of the field approaching the king and princess. Wendell gasped it was the most beautiful whitest horse he had ever seen! He had to look twice to make sure he wasn't actually a unicorn. The horse stood next to Wendell and Leda.   
  
"King Wendell this is Falada, my horse," she said. "Our family's horse."  
  
Wendell nodded feeling a little silly talking to a horse, but he complied. "How do you do um Falada." He turned to Leda. "I thought he was mounted on a wall."  
  
Leda smiled. "He was but my mother found someone to restore him so he can come whenever he was called."   
  
The horse spoke in a high clear voice:  
  
"Heir to Snow White has lost his throne  
  
To avenging enemies who have taken his home."   
  
Wendell nodded. So this horse was magic, he understood. "Yes and Leda, your mistress told me that you can help me find the witch Baba Yagga." He turned to Leda. "He doesn't expect me to ask only in rhyme does he?"   
  
Leda gave him a strange look as if that question was absurd. "No it's allright."   
  
Falada gave a neighing sound which Wendell hoped meant a positive answer.   
  
"What you seek and what you have seen   
  
Shall be found within the greens   
  
Center of the forest black as night   
  
Shall be a house within sight   
  
Three riders shall surround the home  
  
That balances on a large chicken bone."   
  
Wendell glanced at Leda. He was not sure whether this advice was helpful or not, but he decided to give it a shot. "Thank you Falada," Leda said. "You may stay around the grounds if you like." Falada nodded and galloped through the grounds and a little closer to the palace. Wendell and Leda followed him into the palace grounds into a lovely garden. There were all kinds of flowers many of which Wendell didn't even know their names, growing and a little fountain spilled across the grounds into a small creek. A birdbath sat in the center as three robins and a bluebird drank their fill. Everywhere there was a fragrant lovely scent. "What do you think?" Leda asked.   
  
"It's lovely," Wendell said picking one of the flowers and shyly handing it to the princess. "Did you do this?"   
  
Leda nodded modestly. " Yes I told you my father used to order me to stay around the grounds. Well I had to have something to occupy my time. In fact until I met Cora I did not have any close friends." Falada snorted in defiance and Leda corrected herself. "With one exception of course." At the mention of the lady in waiting's name, Wendell turned to the house warily. "Is something the matter?" Leda asked.   
  
"Yes I do hope your lady-in-waiting is safe with Mordred," Wendell said.   
  
Leda grinned slyly. "Knowing Cora as I do, I more of wonder if your friend is safe with her."   
  
"You do trust her," Wendell asked confused.   
  
Leda shrugged. "Of course I do, why would I not?"   
  
"But she is your family's enemy, I would watch my back if I were you," Wendell reminded her.   
  
Leda stared incredulously. "She could never hurt me. Let me tell you something about Cora. When her grandmother's crimes were discovered, the king appeared before her and said 'What would be the most fitting punishment for a pretender to the royal house?' Not realizing that she was being set up, she responded 'She would deserve no less than to be flung from the highest tower by the servants.' The king then said 'You have pronounced your own fate' and they were just about to do it when my grandmother intervened on her behalf. She said that she could not bear to see anyone get hurt, least of all a woman who had served her faithfully, she thought, for years. So the king ordered her instead to be banished from the kingdom never to return. Well that Cora left and eventually married a huntsman. They then had a son who they had raised to seek vengeance upon our family, but they died before the boy could carry it out. He grew and married a gypsy woman and they eventually had our Cora. In the meantime my grandmother gave birth to my father. They told him the story of our grandmothers and Father became very afraid. When I was born he was afraid that they would try to kidnap or kill me, so he became very protective of me. He kept me on the grounds, I was not to leave the palace without an escort and was ordered never to speak to any strangers. I may have resented it, but he had good intentions he was very worried for me.   
  
Meanwhile Cora's parents raised her to shoot, ride, and fight as well as any man. Since her mother was a gypsy she was raised to learn a little magic. They raised her to one day meet and kill me. When she came of age, she sought work in our palace making up a story about how she was an orphan and had no family. My father hired her as my lady-in-waiting. She was a wonderful servant and became a wonderful friend, I thought. She would sometimes take me outside the grounds and I saw this wonderful world that I never had seen before and I like to think maybe I taught her a few things as well. We were very close until one night when we were both sixteen. She led me out of the palace and into the woods. Then suddenly, she pulled me to a tree and held up her crossbow. I was so afraid that she would kill me! I began crying begging her to release me, asking how could she when we were friends. Then I saw her hand shake and she took down the bow. Her father appeared on a horse and grabbed me. He threw me into their closet. I was never so terrified in my life! Eventually my father's guards found me and rescued me. Sadly, Cora's parents were killed in the fight and she was arrested. My father wanted to have her executed, and like my grandmother I pleaded on her behalf. She was grateful and I kept her as my lady-in-waiting. She has been with me ever since."  
  
"And you forgave her?" Wendell asked.   
  
Leda smiled. "She had a perfect oppurtunity to kill me. No one was around, no one would have seen her and maybe even would not have found me and she didn't do it. She would not do it. Of course I forgave her, she never knew me. She was brought up to hate me without knowing who I was and I was brought up to fear her without knowing who she was." Wendell shook his head and seemed unconvinced. Leda could tell that Wendell was not really thinking of Cora but something else, or rather someone else. "How did you get out of the river?" She asked.  
  
Wendell was surprised at the sudden and abrupt change of subject. "You told me so yourself, Cora found us."   
  
The princess shook her head. "No that is how you got from the shore to the palace. How did you get out of the river?"   
  
Wendell's eyes narrowed and he tried to recall. He hadn't thought of that. He looked over at the garden. "Would you like to show me around this lovely place. I would be interested in a tour from the expert?"  
  
Leda smiled obliging. "It would be my pleasure," she replied.   
  
The creature came within the night blending into the shadows. He could not be seen or heard. He barely spoke when he did his job, but sometimes the more observant knew he was there.They could barely make him out in the darkness or just felt his presence. Sometimes even saw his two yellow eyes staring at them seeing all he could see. He did not usually attack, it was not in his nature he was more of an observer, but for his beloved Queen Mab, he would make an exception. After all he was no traitor like other creatures, he could name. Shadow kept his eyes on the palace he could see the courtyard wide open. King Wendell had just retired with the young blond woman and walked back inside. Shadow was about to advance closer but the door closed before he could reach.   
  
The Dark Sidhe cursed under his breath, but then he glanced over to the outside hallway of the courtyard. Maybe eventually the king would find his way there. He looked closely, he didn't have to look very long for someone approached. The figure walked into the hallway and drew his sword from his scabbard and began to practice fighting. He lunged at his invisible enemies. Shadow flew closer to the hallway to keep a closer look.From the distance he could see fine, but he wanted to be sure that what he saw was true. The young man was familiar, dark hair tangled to his shoulders, cold blue eyes, a sardonic swagger, a dark demenour. No, it couldn't be. He was dead surely? Mortals no mortals live that long, do they? He heard the news he had to be dead. But if he lived again, what was he doing here? What would be done with him? He had to report this latest development to the Queen. Ignoring his pursuit of King Wendell he left to tell Mab his discovery!   
  
Mordred continued to practice his fencing through the courtyard. It was empty, but he pretended that he was facing his enemies. He attacked them full force as he would any other. He lunged practically danced through the courtyard until he came upon the hall overlooking the garden. A white horse was eating the grass in the garden looking up as Mordred approached. The horse stamped and looked at the young former knight seemed to look through him. He spoke:  
  
"Son of the Dragon murderer of the king  
  
Must face his demons to avoid becoming."   
  
Makes perfect sense, Mordred thought sarcastically. He was about to raise his sword again when another sword clashed against it. This sword belonged to Cora. "Care to practice against a real threat?" she asked.   
  
"Sure do you know of any?" Mordred said sarcastically.   
  
Cora then held her sword and clashed it against Mordred's. "I think I can manage."   
  
Their swords banged against each other as they fought one another. Cora lunged her sword and Mordred swerved to avoid it. "Do you always meet men this way?" he asked.   
  
"Now you know why I'm alone," Cora said swerving to avoid his attack and attacking straight back.   
  
"Is there any particular reason why I have the pleasure of your company just now as well as your talents," Mordred asked as she perried his next move. "Or probable lack thereof?" He blocked her attack and forced her to the ground.   
  
Cora leaped on to one of the benches as their swords clashed practically sang as they hit against each other. "I saw you standing out here practicing fighting and was curious or rather concerned over what you might do."   
  
"Most people are," Mordred answered leaping up on the same bench as Cora leaped down and then jumped down as the two battled. "If you must know I was practicing my skill in case they will be needed tomorrow when Wendell and I go to meet your friend."   
  
"Which reminds me where are you from?" Cora asked. "I know that you are not from the 4th Kingdom, somehow I don't think you are from any of the 9. Perhaps from the 10th that everyone is raving about."   
  
"Something like that," Mordred said. The two attacked once more fighting against each other proving an equal match, though Mordred was slightly better than she was. "Consider me a man of mystery." He leveled the sword at her.   
  
"More like of mediocrity," Cora teased as she pushed the sword away from him with her sword forcing her body up. The two lunged and thrusted their swords at each other faster and harder, half in a game and half behaving as though they were in front of a real enemy. Cora held Mordred at swordpoint and lay on top of him. "Looks like I have the better of you," she said.   
  
"Not quite," Mordred said and then knocked the sword from her hand and rolled both of them over. She kicked him off of her and scooted on the ground to get away from him.   
  
"If I thought you were coming to assasinate Leda, you would have been dead by now," She warned.   
  
"And miss this?" Mordred said. "Not for the worlds. She means that much to you does she?" he asked.  
  
Cora nodded. "She is like a sister to me, yes she means that much to me."   
  
"Yes well your loyalty could get you killed," Mordred said softly approaching her.   
  
"I could say the same for you and your lack of loyalty," She said as she pulled closer to him. The two of them picked up their swords and were about to duel once again but they looked long at each other. They leaned closer together and kissed passionately almost hungry. "Looks like it was a draw." Mordred said as the two kissed even more.   
  
Wendell walked down the hall through the bedrooms fully dressed it was early morning and he and Mordred were going to set out to Baba Yagga's house in the Black Forest. Wendell knocked on the room which Mordred was sleeping. "Mordred, wake up. We are leaving," he said. But there was no answer. He knocked once more and could hear faint whispers, Mordred's and someone else's sounded like a woman's? Wendell could see the door was unlocked so he opened it softly. Mordred and Cora were sitting up on the bed kissing. They were dressed but, Wendell harboured no illusions as to what they had been doing. They pulled away upon the king's entrance. They did not look embarrassed just relaxed. "Did I interrupt anything?" Wendell asked lightly.   
  
"As a matter of fact you did," Mordred said. "What is it?"   
  
"We are preparing to leave. We will be heading to the Black Forest. Leda will lead us to the edge," Wendell replied.   
  
"I guess I will go too then," Cora said. She smiled at Mordred who smiled back. He hadn't been with a woman in a long time and this was the first time a woman had willingly given herself to him. Also, last night was the first night that he had no nightmares about the Underworld. He wasn't sure what he felt but he knew he wanted to see her again. Cora left the room closing the door behind her.   
  
Mordred, Wendell, Cora, and Leda rode up to the edge of the Black Forest. Trees gnarled in front of the top, so tight and thick that the woods inside looked like night. Wind whistled angrily through the trees. Wendell shuddered he could see how the forest got its name. He looked over at Mordred and gave silent thanks that he looked just as nervous as he did. "I guess we had better go in then," Wendell said to Mordred who nodded unsure.   
  
"Just a minute," Leda said. "There is something I want to give to you." She pulled him aside and put something in his hand. He looked down to see the gossamer handkerchief. "It will protect you from harm."   
  
Wendell smiled. "Thank you, Leda but I cannot accept this." He put it back into her hand.   
  
She put the handkerchief back into his. "Take it, you need it more than I would. It may provide protection against whatever is in there."   
  
"I will return it, I promise," Wendell said.  
  
"You had better," she teased. "You two may also have two of my horses. I would give you Falada, but he only lets me ride him and no one else. He is stubborn that way." The horse snorted in protest and neighed.   
  
"I will return, I promise," Wendell said. He leaned over and kissed the young princess.   
  
Mordred and Cora looked at each other. "Good luck and be careful," she said. " I mean it. We still haven't finished our battle yet."   
  
Mordred caught the sarcasm in the young woman's voice. "That is one I am looking forward to." They pulled together and kissed passionately. They continued to kiss until Wendell had to clear his throat.   
  
"We must be off," he said. Mordred mounted his horse, and they waved goodbye, and the two rode off into the woods until the women could not be seen through the trees. 


	7. Chapter Seven: Creatures of Light and Sh...

Chapter Seven: Creatures of Light and Shadow

_May it be an evening star_

_Shines down upon you_

_May it be when darkness falls _

_Your heart will be true _

_You walk along a road_

_Oh how far you are from home_.

From "May it Be" by Enya

Merlin sat on top of a hill, apart from his traveling companions in a meditative position as if his mind was further away than on the desolate road the three had stopped near for the night. Tony shook his head and walked up to the seated wizard. Merlin's eyes were shut and he was concentrating deeply. Tony waved his hand in front of the wizard's face in a joking manner. No response.

He returned to Nimue who was rummaging through a travel bag for food. She handed some fruit to Tony who accepted. "What is he doing" Tony said motioning towards Merlin.

"He's meditating" Nimue explained with a hint of pride. "Sometimes nature provides him with an answer that humans do not."

Makes perfect sense, Tony thought sarcastically and then added. "Like how to take on a group of Mountain trolls to get our king back"

Nimue shrugged. "Possibly."

"So anyone know what this Grail actually looks like"

Nimue shrugged. "I don't know, Sir Galahad returned to England with The Grail but it disappeared shortly after that. No one knows where, well now we do."

"Sure" Tony said.

"You seem to doubt don't you" the woman asked.

Tony laughed. "Well you and Merle should have met me three years ago, then we could talk about how much I doubted, but this just seems I don't know impossible."

"Nothing ever truly is impossible" Nimue said.

"You haven't been with us" The former New Yorker laughed bitterly. Deciding this was a subject that he didn't want to continue, Tony changed the subject. "So what happened to Merlin and his Lady after King Arthur died"

"We just wandered" Nimue answered. "Drifted, did our parts to help others in one way or another. Merlin took part in many battles. Aided those who needed us. We were particularly busy during the Second World War and watched our story ultimately become myth and legend."

"Any kids" Tony asked.

Nimue shook her head sadly. "No, I can't."

"Oh" Tony said unsure of what to say after a comment like that. "I'm um, sorry."

Nimue smiled warmly. "That's all right, I cam to terms with it long ago. We had many friends over the years, including children and in some ways, Frick could be like a child, so we didn't miss them."

At the mention of Frick's name, Tony looked to the road as if conjuring Frick, Wolf, and his daughter to appear. As if reading his thoughts, Nimue put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure they will be all right" she said.

"I know" Tony said. "I just"

"-Worry about them" Nimue suggested. Tony nodded. "So is Virginia's mother in the 9 Kingdoms as well" Upon Tony's stricken face, Nimue realized that this was a conversation that he did not want to have. "I am truly sorry, I spoke out of turn."

Tony waved his hand disdainfully. "Ah, don't worry about it. My wife, ex-wife is dead. I guess you heard about King Wendell's stepmom, the former Wicked Queen"

Nimue pursed her lips thinking. "Vaguely didn't she try to poison the Royal families at Wendell's coronation years ago"

Tony nodded. "She was my ex-wife and Virginia's mother." Nimue offered an understanding smile but otherwise revealed no surprise. "You're not surprised."

Nimue laughed. "If you have been alive as long as I have, surprise is not an emotion that you feel much anymore."

Merlin's eyes flew open and he ran down the hill to his wife and friend. Nimue saw the alarm on her husband's face. "What is it" Nimue asked.

"Creatures are right behind us" Merlin said. "We must leave now" Tony and Nimue gathered their things and followed the wizard.

They didn't get very far into the hills before Merlin pointed towards the sky. It was a clear night, but there was a dark cloud approaching them. The cloud seemed to fly closer to the ground. When the cloud came closer to the three unwaring travelers a loud ear shattering scream could be heard

Tony, Merlin, and Nimue saw that the dark cloud was actually several winged creatures approaching. them. "Gryphons, be ready" Merlin said.

The gryphons lunged at the three travelers. Their shriek was so loud that it nearly broke their eardrums. Tony, Nimue, and Merlin covered their ears as the gryphon fell on them scratching and clawing at them. "Their shrieks are meant to astound you and are meant to weaken you, try not to listen to them."

"Now he tells us" Tony yelled.

"Stand aside" Merlin commanded.

He held out his staff and began to chant in Ancient Gaelic. "Anail nathrach ortha bhais bheatha do thuar dheanamh" (ana nathrak urth vas bethrud dokhje djenve) "Serpent's breath, charm of life and death and life, thy omen of making"

The gryphons opened their mouths to scream, but fell silent. "Now" Merlin said to his wife and friend. Tony nodded understanding what the wizard had done. He took away the gryphons' voices, so they could fight them. Tony ducked shoving two gryphons together that lunged to attack them.

A gryphon lunged to attack Nimue. She darted out of the way as it fell to the ground. Without another thought she reached up and kicked it. A gryphon flew in Merlin's face trying to scratch him. Annoyed, Merlin raised his staff and sparked the creature sending it flying. Eventually all of the gryphons were vanquished. "We had better continue" Merlin said.

From her Observing Ball, Mab clenched her teeth. Her gryphons had failed! She suddenly felt someone enter into the shadows.She looked over to the creature that had interrupted her work.

"Shadow what are you doing here? You are supposed to be watching"

"-I have news my Queen" The Shadow interrupted and bowed low.

The Queen of the Sidhe looked closely at the creature's face. He usually showed no emotion, but something clearly had disturbed him.

"Just a minute, first things first" Mab said. She waved her hand over the Observing Ball as the fog grew until she couldn't see through it. She then turned to Shadow. "What is it" she asked.

The fog rolled so in so thick that Merlin, Tony, and Nimue could not see through it. Tony ran slower than the other two. He struggled to keep his eyes on Merlin's black robe as he ran ahead of him. Tony tried to keep up with the wizard; but the fog became so thick that he could barely see the man in front of him. Suddenly, it came in so thick that he couldn't see anyone at all, nothing but fog. He could not find Merlin or Nimue"Merle! Nim" he yelled. "Mr. and Mrs. Wizard! Where are you guys" But aside from his own echo , not a sound could be heard. Tony gulped he was left alone.

He collapsed against a rock for support. A sound made his ears perk up. It sounded like singing, a woman's voice. Tony sighed with relief. "Nimue, thank God" he sai. He turned to the direction of the voice. It wasn't Nimue!

A woman with long flowing jet black hair and alabaster skin reclined on a hill one of her legs dangling over the other. She was dressed in a long white gown that left little to the imagination. As she sang to him, Tony felt mezmerized by her voice and her looks. Tony felt drawn to her as he climbed the hill to be next to her. A small creek ran across the hill and the way she lay it was as though her gown was a part of the water blending into it almost seamlessly. The small rational part of Tony's mind was warning him to stay away from her. He looked deep into her clear blue eyes as she motioned for him to come closer with one finger. He stood next to her as she wrapped her arms around him. Before Tony realized what was happening, the beautiful woman drew her face closer to him until he was conscious of nothing but her eyes and red blood-like lips. She pressed her lips against his. The kiss felt warm and inviting at first. But Tony felt drained and tired as though life was seeping from him. Tony suddenly felt like he wanted to drop to the ground.

Suddenly, something broke him from the woman's spell or rather someone. Merlin pushed the woman away from Tony's grip. "A lilith" Merlin said. "Don't look at her and don't listen to her."

Tony blinked and tried to move from the woman's gaze. Merlin was about to perform magick to deflect the woman's gaze on his friend, but the woman continued to look at the wizard. Merlin stood still and distracted. The Lilith dangled one finger up and down the wizard's chin and pulled herself closer. She closed her lips in another kiss, until she felt a jab at her back. The woman screamed and fell to the ground. Nimue stood behind where the woman fell still holding the iron rod in her hand. "Are you all right" She asked.

"Yes" Merlin said then turned to Tony. "Are you"

"Yeah" Tony agreed.

"And that's why she comes with us" Merlin quipped as the trio moved on.

The forest closest to the mountains was deep and the creek grew to a river the closer they got.

"The mountains are on the other side" Merlin said.

"How do we get across" Nimue asked.

"We sail" Merlin replied.

Tony snapped his fingers. "Damn, I must have left my yacht out at the mansion"

"Not like that" Merlin said. "Like that." He pointed to a few fallen logs and a vine. "It's primitive but it will work." the wizard said.

The trio worked to make the raft. Tony and Nimue sat on it as Merlin handed them three branches to row. They struggled to keep their grip on the branches despite the river's currents. The river kept pushing them back and forth along the waves. "Are you sure this will hold, Merlin" Nimue asked.

"Of course it will" Merlin said. Just as he said that, the vines began to fray and fall out of the logs. Tony and Nimue glanced at Merlin. "What do you want, I'm a wizard not a carpenter" he said dryly.

The logs seperated from the vines completely as a wave capsized the raft. The three bobbed in the water struggling to keep hold of their breaths and their heads above water. Merlin grabbed Nimue's hand and reached for the back of Tony's shirt. "Swim to the other side" he commanded.

"I don't think we have much of a choice" Tony agreed his mouth filled with water. Merlin stuggled with his two charges but they were able to tumble on to the opposite shore and landed.

"Are we there yet" Tony asked.

Merlin pointed forward at the gray mountain range in front of them. "I should say so" he said but he yawned. "We must keep going."

"I'm beat from the water" Tony said his eyes beginning to shut.

"We are here" Nimue suggested. "Maybe we could sleep for the night."

Tony and Nimue fell to the ground, almost collapsed. Merlin was puzzled but he could barely keep his eyes open. "No we must" he said but his voice had no commanding force to it. "Oh I suppose sleep wouldn't be bad." He fell to the ground next to his wife and friend.

Merlin woke to see himself in darkness. He couldn't see anything in front, around, or behind him. He couldn't see or hear Tony or Nimue anywhere around him. He called for his companions but recieved no answer. He sat in the darkness wondering what to do next and where he was. "Light" he commanded but no light came. He tried again, but still no light. He rubbed his head annoyed. What is going on? He thought. Suddenly, he could see a light up ahead on the far end as though he were in a tunnel and he could see the other end. He ran towards the light and as he ran closer he could see that it began to form a shape of a cup. He ran to the light that he knew to be the Holy Grail! He became more hurried approaching the Grail, but stopped. The cup shown in all of the brilliance that he had heard about but it was on one end of a cliff and he was on the other!

Merlin grunted his frustration. He tried to find a bridge or a way across but there was none. He tried to use his magick which failed him. "I can almost touch it but how can I"

"Let the light guide you" a familiar voice appeared to him. Merlin turned to his side to see a young man he thought he would never see again. King Arthur stood next to him! Last he saw Arthur, the king was a broken man bleeding and dying from the loss of his kingdom. Now in front of the wizard he stood once more strong and in the prime of life.

"Arthur" Merlin said bowing to his king.

King Arthur smiled at his friend. "None of that please. I cannot be with you now and my time is short. But we will see each other again before too long."

"I had given up hope" Merlin said.

"Never" Arthur assured his former advisor. He took Merlin's hand, his grip feeling strong. "Just let the light guide you." He embraced the wizard and disappeared.

When Nimue woke up she found herself in an abandoned castle. At first she walked through it calling for Merlin and Tony but heard no one. It was silent, then suddenly she heard a shriek. Nimue covered her ears as the shriek grew louder. A warith appeared. Nimue backed up terrified. She tried to run but ran into another one! Nimue ran seeing several wraiths appearing before her. A wraith held onto her, it's grip bony and cold. Nimue pulled herself away and ran. She ran up the stairs hearing the shrieks and seeing the spirits chase after her.

The hallway appeared before her, but the ghosts ran in front of her. Nimue screamed until she felt herself grow hoarse, but she just had to get away from these frightening things! She held onto a door and caught her breath. She looked towards the door and listened. She couldn't hear the wraiths behind the door, but she heard a voice, a strong male voice. She could barely hear it over the shrieks but it seemed to be calling her. She opened the door and ran up the gray stairs she could see before her.

Nimue ran up the tower still hearing the shrieks and feeling the ghosts follow her. She could feel their grip on her gown and pushing her down. She fought with them until they let her go but they continued to follow shrieking in her ears. She put her hands on her ears and covered them. Through the covered ears she could hear the man's voice again. "Nima" it said. She knew that voice and even if she hadn't she would have known that childhood nickname anywhere.

"Father" she said. She felt a hand remove her left hand from her ears and hold it. She opened her eyes to see her father, Lord Adante looking at her.

He smiled at her with his kind eyes and bushy red beard that Nimue used to tug on as a small child. "It is I, Nima" he said as he led her out of the steps and onto the tower. Standing on top of the castle, Nimue could see that it was day and there was nothing to fear.

"I am trying to find my way Father, but I'm lost" Nimue said her voice quivering and her eyes filling.

Adante embraced his daughter warmly. "Now now Nimue, you are not lost. You will find your way to the Grail with your friend and your husband. A good man indeed." Nimue blushed at her father's compliment. "But Daughter, don't be afraid to hide in the darkness to find it."

"Hide in the darkness" Nimue said. "But Father I don't understand."

"You will Nima in time" Adante said and kissed her on the top of the forehead. "Just hide in the darkness to find it."

Tony heard music as he awoke, familiar music. He rubbed his eyes to hear "Whiter Shade of Pale." Instantely he felt a little terrified since he heard the last time he heard that song, he was in the Swamp being given bad dreams by some trippy mushrooms. He wasn't looking forward to finding out what trouble he was in now.

He walked forward to see himself in a white cave the song growing louder. But another sound entered his ears. Viriginia's voice. He could hear her screaming. "Dad" "Help" she yelled.

"Virginia" Tony yelled. He tried to run where he thought the mouth to the cave was but couldn't find it. He heard her voice grow louder as he ran to a far end. He could just hear it as though it were outside the cave, but as he approached the mouth, he could see that it was closed. He banged on the door frustrated. "Virginia, my daughter is in danger" he yelled.

Suddenly he could hear the song playing again from behind him. Tony turned and felt a hand hold him by the shoulder and push him to the other side. Tony's ex-wife, Christine took his hand and began to dance with him. They danced to "Whiter Shade of Pale", just as they did on their wedding day and at her debutante dance when they first met.

They danced a waltz for a bit, but Tony pushed her away and banged once more on the door. "You stay away from me" he said and began to bang on the cave door again. "Virginia"

"Tony" Christine said. "Don't look through me, look at me"

Tony turned to see his ex-wife looking her in the eyes. He said that to her all those years ago in Wendell's castle trying to get her to remember who she was. It was a secret code that they shared once after Tony had confided that he felt intimidated by Christine's rich friends and snooty mother.

"When they insult me, when they make me feel like a slob don't look through me, look at me and it won't be so bad" Tony told her as she laughed and now here Christine was saying the same thing.

"Virginia is not in danger" Christine said. "Not yet anyway, but she will be."

Tony's breath caught in his throat. "How? When"

"Dark forces want to harm her" Christine said. "But they haven't found her yet"

"I have to get out of here" Tony declared.

"Tony, you have to find the Grail first" Christine said. "That is the only way you can save Virginia"

"I don't know where it is" Tony said. "I'm a failure."

Christine took her former husband's hand. "You are not and you will find it. Just listen to me, The queens will know the way."

Tony shrugged. "What queens? Snow White? What are you talking about"

Christine shook her head. "No, just know the queens will find the way." She kissed her husband on the lips. It felt real and more natural than the Lilith's kiss. "Now go find the Grail and save our daughter"

Three Mountain Trolls were hunting in the woods when they saw the sleeping humans. One of them shoved him with his stick. "Do we eat them" he asked.

One of his companions reached down and smelled them. "No, let's take them to our cave we can finish them off there" They gathered the three in their arms and marched them to their cave proud of their new finds.


	8. Chapter Eight: Lacrimae Mundi

Chapter Eight: Lacrimae Mundi

_These dreams go on when I close my eyes _

_Every second of the night I live another life_

_These dreams that sleep when it's cold outside_

_Every moment I'm awake the further I'm away._

From "These Dreams" by Heart

The first thing that Tony was conscious of when he awoke was a splitting headache. The next thing was he was face to face with some grimy bars. "Tony" a fierce whisper called from another cage. Tony sat up wincing with pain and saw Merlin staring at him from the cage across from him. He looked to his far left to see Nimue in the other cage. "Merlin, what are we doing here" he asked.

"I think we've been captured by Mountain Trolls" Merlin said evenly.

Tony began to panic, but saw Merlin looked very nonchalant. "At least show a little bit of concern" Tony said dryly. Merlin fixed him a look. "How long do you think that we have been in here"

"Several hours at least" Merlin replied.

"How do you know" Tony asked.

"Well, I looked at the formation of the rocks and noticed the trolls behviour and how many times they have scavanged for food" Merlin said sarcastically. "I'm guessing, Tony"

"Well then why don't you guess our way out of here and to Wendell" Tony said.

Nimue who had been silent during the whole conversation suddenly called her husband and friend's attention. "Merlin, Tony! Look down there" She said.

They turned to the direction that she pointed. "Blow me to Bermuda" Merlin cursed under his breath.

A group of people were held by in a group of cages by the Mountain Trolls. Whole families clung to each other terrified. Mothers held their children behind them so they could get the worst of the threats. Young men held their wives and girlfriends to their chests fighting with the trolls only to recieve beatings of their own. Tony moved closer to the edge of his cage to get a better look.

"Oh my God" he said his breath catching in his throat. "I recognize some of those people" He pointed a woman with graying auburn hair and a torn peasent dress sitting silent with a stocky young man with blond hair. "She let us stay in her barn in Little Lamb Village" He then saw an overweight man his face red with exertion and fear dressed in a suit with a baldric that even though was soiled, he could tell was green, he looked like he was trying to bargain with the trolls. "He is the mayor of Beantown! and that guy over there" he pointed to an older man who under normal circumstances would be considered fussy with his petulent look and mincing demeanour but was now just frightened. "He's a jeweler in Kissingtown. I think Wolf bought Virginia's engagement ring from him! These people are from the Fourth Kingdom"

"They must have ran through after we left" Nimue observed.

"Yes, but who don't you see,'" Merlin asked in a tone that already knew the answer.

Tony and Nimue looked closer. "Wendell isn't there" Tony said also breathing a silent sigh of relief that he didn't see Wolf, Virginia, or Frick either.

"I also don't see Mordred" Nimue said.

"You think they may have eaten them already" Tony asked.

"I hope not" Merlin replied.

"We have to free them" Nimue gasped empathetically as she saw a small child being pushed forward and beaten by the trolls.

"I'm way ahead of you" Merlin said as he tried to stand and held his arms out. Suddenly, from around the cave a scream echoed throughout the cave. It sounded like a demon or a monster but with the echoes it sounded like hundreds of them. The trolls and their prisoners looked around with fear and astonishment. Satisfied, Merllin motioned to the far wall of the cave where a little light reflected from it. He waved his hand, and the shadow of a monster appeared that looked like a combination of a dragon and a phoenix could be outlined. Once again Merlin used his magick to form the scream.

The leader of the Mountain Trolls picked up his weapon and spoke to his people in his language. He pointed to the direction of the "monster." He then motioned to his people to follow him. The Trolls picked up their swords and sticks and in a fury ran out of the cave.

"That wasn't so difficult was it" Merlin asked dryly. He then used his magick to unlock his, Tony, and Nimue's door. They then ran to the people of the Fourth Kingdom to free them. As Tony opened the door to the woman from Little Lamb Village, Fidelity Ramley he remembered her name was, she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Okay" he said embarrassed pulling the grateful woman away from him. Her son, John held onto his mother with one hand and held his sister Mary with the other. "Thank you" he said.

"What happened to you" Merlin asked.

" Mountain Trolls came through our village after Castle White was attacked followed by soldiers and Huntsmen! They attacked our villages" explained the Jack the Fourth, Mayor of Beantown"

"We tried to fight them off but there were so many" said a blond woman who was dressed like one of the Kissingtown Casino girls. " They kidnapped us but not everyone! They ran through the villages killing some of our boys and taking us."

"They killed three of my boys" sobbed a woman. It took a moment before Tony recognized who she was. Barbara Peep, the owner of the Baa-Baa Inn"First, my Sally killed by my own father-in-law then this" She sobbed as her younger daughter, Betty held her mother tightly. Despite what had happened between them and the Peeps, Tony couldn't help but feel for her. They didn't deserve that, Hell, no one did.

"Was King Wendell here with you" Tony asked.

The people looked from one to the other their faces puzzled. They asked from one to the other. "I haven't seen him" the Kissingtown Jeweler said.

"I heard a rumour" one of the Peep girls replied. "That he was killed during the Troll Battle on Castle White but that his body wasn't found."

"No" Nimue answered sadly. "We saw him get taken by the Mountain Trolls."

Merlin motioned to Tony and Nimue. They leaned over to him as he spoke in secret. "He must have escaped the Mountain Trolls, Mordred too."

"At least we know he's safe" Nimue said.

"According to you guys, he's no safer with Mordred than he is with the trolls" Tony said.

"I'm sure your king can hold his own with one man, despite having a strong fighting ability, better than he can with a group of Mountain Trolls" Merlin said.

"Should we go find him" Nimue asked.

"We don't know where he is" Tony pointed out. "It would be like looking for a king-sized needle in a haystack."

Merlin agreed. "Let's continue with our goal to find the Holy Grail and then we will see if we can find Wendell. Besides there is much I must tell you about our journey."

"Me too" Tony replied.

"So do I" Nimue agreed.

Merlin then spoke up and turned to the refugees from the Fourh Kingdom. "Come we must leave."

"Where do we go now" a man asked. "Back to the Fourth Kingdom."

Merlin shook his head. "No, for now you must make the journey to the First. You will be safe there."

"You're not coming" John Ramley asked.

Merlin and Nimue shook their heads. Terrified, Tony was about to nod but from his friend's glare, he too shook his head. "No, we have a different path to take. You will need a few leaders to take charge of your journey, now are there any volunteers"

There was a silence. Under normal circumstances, in a large group such as this there would be chest-beating and jockeying for position over who would be leader but the reluctant silence and fear from the villagers showed just how unusual and traumatic these circumstances actually were.

Finally Jack the Fourth stood. "It would be my pleasure to lead."

John Ramley gently pried himself from his tearful mother and terrified sister's grasps. "I will too" he replied. "I make the run to the First Kingdom all the time. I know some shortcuts to get there."

"John no" Fidelity sobbed.

John hugged his mother. "I have to Mum."

"I'm sure he'll do fine" Tony reassured the woman. Fidelity dried her eyes and smiled at the former New Yorker.

"I will too" said the Kissingtown Casino girl. "I can fight with a sword pretty well. My ex-boyfriend, a knight, taught me."

"Good luck, Liccy" a female voice yelled to her. Liccy nodded acknowledging the compliment and smiled at John Ramley who smiled back. She blushed but both turned to Merlin realizing the seriousness of their situation.

"I think that you will be in good hands" Merlin replied. "Now we must be off" Suddenly the sound of drums resounded through the cave. "The trolls are coming back" Nimue gasped. "We must go"

"And we also must keep them from following us" Merlin said. "Now everyone go" The villagers all ran out of the cave. Nimue and Tony trailed behind.

"What's your plan" Tony asked.

"I have an idea" Merlin said. "Run! I will follow close by" He held out his arms and chanted once more. Suddenly, the earth began to rumble slightly. He tried again as the rumbling became louder and rocks and stalagtites fell to the ground. Satisfied, Merlin ran after his wife and friend dodging rocks and stones that fell from the tension of the earthquake.

Merlin was the last to leave the cave as with one final crash the rocks and boulders fell to the ground locking the trolls in their cave. Merlin leaned against the door satisfied. "That takes care of that group at least" he said.

Merlin joined Nimue and Tony. They were standing with the residents of the Fourth Kingdom.

"You sure you can't come" Liccy asked.

"We have something important that we must find" Merlin replied. "It is your journey."

"Thank you for freeing us" Jack the Fourth replied slapping the two men on the back then kissing Nimue on the hand. "If you are ever in Beantown again, I will make sure that you are honored."

"It would be our pleasure" Nimue replied.

John Ramley embraced the three tightly, then pulled away. "Good luck" he said.

"Yeah that goes double from us" Tony said. "I hope your shortcut holds out."

"Me too" John agreed.

"Be careful" Liccy said hugging Nimue then kissing Tony and Merlin on the cheek.

"You as well" Merlin said. "You must be off."

Liccy, John, and Jack the Fourth stood in front of the Fourth Kingdom refugees. Jack the Fourth cleared his throat and began to speak. "We must leave now. Do not overburden yourselves and stay together. We have a long road ahead of us." He waved his arm and motioned them forward. "Let's be off" They turned and headed for the west a group that was confused and weathered from the encounter but relieved for the moment to be out of danger.

Merlin, Nimue, and Tony stood at the hill waving at the group as they left. John, Liccy, and Jack the Fourth turned their heads and waved back before they disappeared into the horizon.

Tony waited until they left before he spoke. "Do you think they will make it there" he asked.

Merlin nodded. "Yes, but I do not know for how much longer the First Kingdom will be safe."

"We have our own journey to attend to" Nimue said.

Tony looked around"So where do we start" he asked.

Merlin closed his eyes and concentrated, then he opened them again and pointed to two far off mountains that seemed to be covered in perpetual darkness. "We go in there."

"I just knew you were going to say that" Tony grumbled as they walked.

"Well, what is it" Mab demanded her throaty voice getting more gutterel. Shadow grimaced he knew that was a bad sign. He wanted to tell her, but each time he opened his mouth to speak all he could do was stammer. He knew what he had to say to her; _Mordred is in the 9 Kingdoms_, but no matter how he could try to get the words out of his lips they wouldn't come.

He tried another tactic. "I have followed King Wendell as you suggested your highness" Shadow replied. "And I have trailed him to a castle in the Second Kingdoms but he is not alone."

Mab's eyes narrowed. "Who is with him" she asked.

Shadow smiled triumphantely. He opened his mouth to say "Mordred Son of Morgan Le Fey and Arthur Pendragon, milady" but instead he began a long lecture on the history of the 9 Kingdoms. He cupped his mouth shocked. He tried again but this time he told her of the history of the Sidhe! He put his hand over his mouth horrified.

Mab shrieked"YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME" she said about to strike him.

Shadow bowed and shook his head. "No, my lady it is not I! For some reason I cannot tell you of King Wendell's companion! I can tell you where he is and where he is going but I cannot tell you who he travels with"

Mab lowered her fists in concentration. "You are under a spell someone is preventing me from finding out who King Wendell travels with" she then held her Observing Ball in her hand. "Now I am intrigued." She commanded her ball to show her King Wendell.

She could see the young king's presence inside the ball. He was walking through a dark wood holding his sword tightly in his grip in approach of any intruders. He seemed to speak to someone, but Mab could not tell who it was. At one point the king stood in front of a narrow passage between two bushes and seemed to reach for an invisible something as if to pull them along but Mab could not see whom he was pulling! Wendell could be seen clear as day, but whoever he was travelling with could not be seen. She shook her Observing Ball and moved it so she could get a better view, but still his companion remained hidden blocked in the shadows. "Someone is using magick against me" She cursed throwing her Observing Ball to the ground. It shattered into a million pieces.

She turned to Shadow. The large creature remained impassive as he awaited his fate. "I will deal with you later. For now, I want you to rise your army of Dark Warriors and go to the Second Kingdom! Find King Wendell and kill him! As for his companion, well they must be important if they are blocked from my powers. I will deal with that one on my own" Shadow bowed low and left.

From her mirror in her underwater grotto, Vivienne, The Lady of the Lake, witnessed the scene between her sister and Mab's servent. "I have protected Mordred from your vision, Sister but for how long" she said sadly. "He will have to choose between facing his inner darkness or falling into it. And when that time comes, he will be seen by you." She pushed the vision from her sight. "We all will."

Wendell and Mordred walked into the forest as it grew deeper and darker the further they walked.

Wendell cut at yet another vine that was in front of them and cursed under his breath. He looked ahead of him to see bushes hung so tightly together that it would take forever to cut through. "Wait a minute" he said anger starting to creep into him. He held one side of the bush aside and grabbed Mordred's shoulder letting him move through the tight fit first. As he pushed the former knight across him, he kept his eye on Mordred's sword always vigilant and ready in case Mordred used it.

Mordred stepped aside and waved Wendell to cross to him. As Wendell left the bush, he saw Mordred looking at him with the same intense stare he felt for him earlier. It was clear that neither of them still trusted each other just yet.

For the longest time the only sound between the two was silence. All around they could hear the sounds of crows and ravens with their far-off flat tones. Wind whistled through the trees sounding almost like howling. Wendell became conscious of Leda and Cora's warning about the Black Woods that they went into: _No one has hardly ever gone out of the forest. Those that have die shortly afterward or become stark raving madmen upon their return_. For a time the king considered leaving the forest and returning to the light. _But where will that leave my people?_ he thought. He remembered not long ago people had considered him a spoiled brat and a terrible ruler-to-be (of course they did not say it to his face, he could just tell) and he couldn't blame them. _I thought of myself for far too long, _he thought, _I can not abandon them to their fate. _

"So how do we get to this woman's house" It had been silent for so long that Wendell actually jumped upon hearing Mordred's voice.

Wendell quoted Falada's words. "What you seek and what you have seen/Shall be found within the greens/ Center of the Forest black as night/Shall be a house within sight/Three riders surround the home/That balances on a chicken bone."

"Does it bother you slightly that we are trusting the word of a talking horse" Mordred asked sarcastically. Inwardly he was uncomfortable with Falada's words himself"Son of the Dragon murderer of the king/Must face his demons to avoid becoming."

"We have no other recourse now do we" Wendell smartly asked. "I don't see you offering any plans. At least those that work."

"I got us away from those gypsies and that hunter remember" Mordred pointed out.

"And got us cursed by them when you took their weapons and stole their cart" Wendell reminded him. "And then nearly got us killed coming facing the huntsman and got us drowned as well."

"Be lucky you are still alive" Mordred retorted.

Wendell glanced at the other man. Mordred's emphasis on the word "You" reminded him of Leda's question. She asked how he got out of the river, but he had no answer for her. Could Mordred have?

"How did we get out of the river" he asked.

"You don't remember" Mordred asked.

Wendell closed his eyes and tried to recall. He remembered nearly drowning and a hand reaching out to pull him out of the water. "Did you pull me out" Wendell asked.

Mordred stepped back as if afraid to answer. Somehow Wendell knew he had the answer. In a split second, Wendell saw something different in the young man than his usual snarky behaviour. His eyes seemed to soften and his body dropped its usual defensive posture. For a second Wendell thought he saw something almost human in Mordred.

But suddenly, the old mannerisms were back. "If I did, it would be because I have no ideas where the Hell I'm going around here and need someone to guide me, nothing more than that." Through his tone, Wendell could not tell whether he spoke the truth or not.

"Well if you did, thank you" Wendell replied.

The king's stomach began to grumble and he felt his mouth go dry. He realized that it had been awhile since he had eaten or drank anything, in fact back at Leda's palace. He searched his bag, they had some fruit and bread from Leda and Cora. He pulled a peach and a piece of bread out of the bag, then offered the bag to Mordred. Mordred obliged.

"You know" Mordred said between bites of food. "For being such a 'terrible forest' as the girls were telling us, this place has been pretty quiet so far."

"I know maybe the dangers are a bit further along" Wendell suggested. He knelt over to a pond nearby and filled the canteen with drink. Suddenly, he heard a sound creeping up. It sounded like horsehooves approaching.

"What is it" Mordred asked as Wendell handed him the canteen.

Wendell cupped his mouth shut. "I hear something." Suddenly, Mordred heard it too. The two held out their swords and dropped their provisions ready for battle.

The hoofsteps got closer. Wendell tensed, knowing this could be trouble. Mordred held his sword by the hilt ready to battle. The hoofsteps stopped and they could see a rider appear at the hill.

Wendell tried to get a better look and adavnced slowly, but Modred screamed and lunged forward at him. "Mordred no" Wendell yelled.

Mordred ran up to the rider, but the rider didn't dismount nor did he hold for battle. Instead the rider waved his hand, and the knight fell backward into a tree. Wendell ran to his companion. "Are you all right" he asked.

"Yes, remind me not to do that again" Mordred quipped.

Wendell then advanced to the rider. "Who are you? What do you want from us" He approached the rider closer and could see that he was a man in white armour. In fact everything around him was white: his horse shown in brilliance, and his hair was the color of snow. He looked at the king with eyes that stared unblinking at him.

The rider still did not speak, but motioned for them to come forward with one finger. "I think he wants us to follow him" Wendell said.

"Just because he wants to doesn't mean we should" Mordred said suspicously.

"Don't you see" Wendell reminded him. "The riddle mentioned three riders! Maybe he is one of those riders." He looked at the white rider, though his face remained impassive he gave a quick nod of confirmation. "It's him! We must follow him"

Mordred glowered but put his sword back in his hilt and followed the king. "I want it down that this was not my idea."

Before Virginia, Wolf, Frick, and Morgan Le Fey could leave the Fifth Kingdom there was something important that needed to be done.

Morgan paced in the wedding gown that she and Virginia borrowed from the innkeeper's wife. "Hold still" Virginia laughed as she finished buckling it. "Are you nervous"

"Not at all" Morgan answered. "We have a lot to make up for."

"I'm sure you will" Virginia replied. Even though they had just met, Virginia admitted to herself she liked the older woman. She seemed a bit vain and haughty at times, and extremely suspicious but she also had a resilience about her, an independance that must have seen her through quite a bit.

Morgan also liked Virginia Wolf quite a bit as well. She reminded her a great deal of herself when she was the girl's age, very forceful and opinionated in a time, in Morgan's case, when women weren't encouraged to be so. She also could see a hint of sadness in Virginia's eyes that didn't seem to go away. A sadness that Morgan was all too familiar with.

Virginia tightened the last buckle and stood back. "Finished" she said. "What do you think"

Morgan turned around and stood next to the mirror. She twirled around admiring the gown. "Oh it's lovely" she sighed. Her wedding gown had a floral pattern top and a long flowing bottom. Her red curly hair instead of being worn up hung down to her waist. Virginia herself was dressed in a long blue dress that looked a little like her gown at Wendell's coronation and her hair was tied back in a braid that hung to her waist. "Thank you" Morgan said.

"You're welcome" Virginia replied. "I'd loan you mine, but it's at our place in New York."

"That's all right" Morgan said. "This one is much too lovely."

"Yeah but there's something else it needs" Virginia said she then looked at the window and saw a group of small white flowers: Snow Whites, they were called in honor of the late queen. Virginia clapped her hands with delight what more appropriate tribute would there be? She cranked the window open and picked several of the flowers. She then cut the roots and began tying the flowers together to form a garland. Morgan knelt down to work with her but Virignia shook her head. "No, consider it a wedding gift. Hey it beats a waffle iron"

Morgan looked confused. "What"

Virginia waved her hand. "Forget it."

She worked while Morgan watched her. "How long have you two been married" Morgan asked.

"Three years" Virginia answered.

"And you have children" Morgan asked pleased.

Virginia nodded. "Two, Luna and Gray. They are at the First Kingdom with Cinderella." She replied, but then she became worried. "I hope they're okay. The last we saw them was after we escaped to the First during the Battle."

"I'm sure they are all right" Morgan reassured her.

Virginia nodded not wanting to continue worrying about her children. She remembered her English teacher in high school talking about how in many Arthurian legends, there were contradictions in the stories like how many sisters King Arthur had and how many children they had. Here goes, she thought. "How many kids do you have" she asked.

Morgan sighed and looked very sad. "Just my son Mordred" she said. "Mine and"

"Your brother's" Virginia asked.

Morgan glared at her. "How did you know"

"I read" Virginia said. "Can I ask, and I don't mean to pry but how? Why would you do, you know that"

Morgan shrugged and Virginia could tell that this was a topic that still hurt Morgan deeply. "I wanted power and at the time the strongest way for me to get it was to bear the son of a king. The most powerful king was my brother, a brother who was conceived upon the death of my father." Her tone had the slight sting of bitterness.

"Does it still hurt" Virginia asked.

Morgan looked down. "That, not as much as it used to. But when I think about what Mordred turned into, a monster in the form of a boy, I think that hurt worse. I still can't think about my son in any sort of affection. What kind of mother would feel that way for her son, the only child that she would ever have"

Virginia shook her head, she had no answer as she completed the garland. She looked to the dresser and saw a white comb. Perfect to put in Morgan's hair to compliment the garland! She bade the older woman to lean back, so she could put it in her hair. The comb was large and had an ornate design at the head. It looked familar, oddly familiar despite the different color. As Virginia put the comb in Morgan's hair, she found herself in front of her own mother. The woman coming towards her and telling her that she should have been killed at birth! They struggled and Christine choked her. Suddenly, Virginia grabbed the comb from the woman's hair and scratched her face! Virginia was stricken with horror at her own mother's murder.

Virginia dropped the comb from Morgan's hair. As it fell from her grasp, she cut her finger on the sharp blades. She screamed and fell to the floor.

"Virginia, are you all right" Morgan asked. She knelt down and held Virginia by the shoulder.

Virginia caught her breath, and relaxed realizing how silly it seemed. Her finger still slightly bled from the comb's cut. She blinked twice coming back to reality. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine" she said then put the comb back on the dresser. She put the garland in Morgan's hair and straightened it. "There now what do you think"

"Exquisite" Morgan said.

A knock resounded through the room. The door opened to reveal a small fair haired man with a kind face dressed in priestly robes. "Are you two ladies ready" he asked.

Morgan and Virginia looked at each other and nodded. "I'm ready" Morgan Le Fey said as they stood in line waiting for the cue.

The priest left the waiting room and walked into the small chapel where the two men waited. Frick danced back and forth, his long yellow hair in a ponytail, the gnome was dressed smartly in a white tunic and black trousers with a long black cloak. Wolf too was dressed in a black suit. "They're ready" the priest said.

As a harpsichordist played a medieval love ballad, Virginia walked down the aisle followed by Morgan. Morgan tried to hide the tears that were coming, but she couldn't resist. The happy tears fell from her blue eyes down to her cheeks as she gazed at her fiancee. Frick took her hand and led her up the aisle.

"One last chance" Frick said. "Is this how you want to look"

Morgan nodded. "Frick thanks to you, I am now beautiful inside as well as out and it is no longer an illusion."

"One other thing" Frick said. "I'm sorry."

"For what" Morgan asked.

"I should have done this a long time ago" the gnome replied as he held out the wedding ring that he was to give Morgan. It was diamond and glinted like fire. "They said that it will change color if you are happy or in danger."

"If we are ready" the priest said. The small wedding party stood at attention. "Dearly beloved we are gathered to witness the union of this man and this woman..."

Hilda sat in the throneroom of the Fourth Kingdom. It was already eroding from the departure of the king. There was rioting in the villages. Some of the Huntsmen's Guilds had been more openly violent with the people and mountain trolls had carried off with some of them for food or for offering to their king. Soldiers on her side had been planted in some of the nearby villages to "calm any storms" but in reality cause their own trouble. It was the perfect situation if given enough time that the chaos would call for a regime change, one Hilda would be glad to perform. "How quickly that peace that has hovered on the edge of a knife can be cut and can bleed" she mused her lips curving into a laviscuous smile.

Hilda looked inside one of her old mirrors. She could see Virginia Wolf, the woman who killed her successor preparing for bed. Hilda held the bottle in her hand, soon the girl would be her's to pick up where her mother left off.

"My queen" Lynette called. Hilda turned to see the Huntress. "You have called off your hunt"

Lynette bowed low. "No Madam, Robyn is still hunting for them. I have brought someone with valuable information. Perhaps he could help."

Hilda nodded. "I will speak to him in a moment." She then turned back to the mirror and opened the bottle. A dark pink liquid poured out of it onto the mirror. "Her guilt is already known but remains hidden" she said. "Let it control her, let it enter her dreams, let it fill her very soul until she comes to me."

Virginia lay in bed. The wedding was over and she could hear from the far off room that Frick and Morgan were celebrating. In fact she could hear a little bit of the song that was playing in the background, Wolf's own "A Time for Commitment." She laughed at the recollection. Wolf was talking to a cart dealer about making a deal to get them to the Seventh Kingdom so she had a little bit of time to herself before they slept and left the next morning. She yawned, the days of traveling were starting to get to her. She closed her eyes.

She no sooner slept then she heard a scream from one of the other rooms. Virginia ran into the hallway recognizing the screams. "Luna! Gray" she yelled. She woke up and ran to their bedroom but they were gone"Where are my children" she yelled.

She could see the window open. She called the names of her two children as she looked up the fire escape. From the top of the fire escape, she could see Luna and Gray being taken by someone in a long purple gown. From the back Virginia could see that it looked like her mother! Virginia ran out of the window and climbed up the fire escape.

Wolf walked down the hallway. He was successful in getting transpotrtation but they would have to leave tonight rather than tomorrow (though the guy was nice enough to say they could sleep on the way). He looked through the room and saw that the door was wide open and Virginia was not in there"Cripes" he cursed. "Virginia" He yelled. He ran to Frick and Morgan's room.

Frick and Morgan were sleeping peacefully next to each other their arms interlocked when they heard a knock at the door. "What's that" Morgan asked.

Frick looked up and then fell back to sleep. "Don't worry about it. It's just urgent knocking it will go away."

The knock persisted and this time they could hear Wolf yelling. "Frick! Morgan" Frick jumped up and opened the door. "Have you guys seen Virginia" Frick and Morgan shook their heads but ran back into the room to get dressed.

They ran to the room to see if they could find her. Frick and Wolf called her name up and down the hall. Morgan looked inside the room frozen for a second. "Frick! Wolf! I found her" she said. They ran to the room.

Wolf looked around. "Well where is she" Morgan pointed at the open window. The three then ran out of the open window and looked out. They could see Virginia climbing up a small steps to the roof. They ran up the stairs following Wolf.

Virginia reached the top of the fire escape. She could see the woman right in front of her. She dangled the children over the New York skyline. "Mom, let them go" Virginia demanded.

Her mother turned around and felt a shock go throug her. She was a woman who was definately not her mother. Her hair was darker and she wore black lipstick, her gown was cut with a ruffles on the sleeves and she looked at Virginia with eyes that were cold and hateful, so unlike her's yet just like her's. For staring at Virginia was herself!

Virginia's breath caught in her throat but she forced herself to speak to her doppelanger. "Who are you"

"I am you" the other Virginia said in a bitter voice so much like her own.

"Mom" Gray yelled. Luna sobbed not even able to speak.

Virginia knelt down to speak to her children. "Don't worry kids Mommy will save you" she said.

She then turned to the woman. "Let them go! You are not me I would never harm my children"

"But you have remember" the other Virginia said with a metallic voice. Virginia was frightened by the memory. "And you killed your mother"

"I had to" Virginia said.

"Just as she had to kill us" the other Virginia spoke coldly. Virginia looked down her eyes filling with tears.

Suddenly Luna's scream could be heard. Virginia looked up and saw the other hold the two children over the building. "No" Virginia ran to save them jumping off the building.

Wolf grabbed his wife to keep her from falling. He reached the top of the roof just as she finished talking to some invisible apparition. He held her down to keep her from jumping again.

Virginia sobbed. "Wolf, Luna and Gray- I pushed them over the ledge! I have to save them"

She tried to force herself out of her husband's grasp but he held her back down. "Virginia, Luna and Gray are with Cinderella remember"

She remembered. "They're with Cinderella? We're not in New York"

Wolf shook his head. "Remember you and I are in the Fifth Kingdom with Frick and Morgan Le Fey and we are headed for the Seventh"

"But I saw myself" Virginia said. "It seemed so real. I was going to fall."

"I would have caught you" Wolf comforted her reminding her of his old promise.

Virginia laughed slightly feeling a little better. "I got a ride" Wolf said. "But we have to leave tonight. If you want I can get another." He turned to not only his wife, but his friends as well.

"I want to go tonight" Virginia said.

"Are you sure" Wolf asked. "Because we can wait."

"Of course I am" the woman agreed. They turned to Frick and Morgan.

"The further I am away from Bluebeard's palace the happier I will be" Morgan grimaced.

"Well it's going to be one Hell of a honeymoon" Frick joked. "But I'm ready when you are."

"We'ld better get our stuff and get going then" Wolf said. He then helped his wife to stand and walked her inside the inn with Morgan and Frick following close behind.


	9. Chapter Nine: The Three Riders

Chapter Nine: The Three Riders

_Preoccupied without you, I cannot live at all_

_My whole wide world surrounds you _

_I stumble then I crawl _

_And you could be my someone, _

_you could be my scene_

_You know that I will save you from _

_all of the obscene_

_I wonder what you're doing_

_I wonder where you are_

_There's oceans here between us_

_And that's not very far!_

From "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd

The white rider moved so far ahead of Wendell and Mordred that they had to struggle to keep up with him. Every time one of them stopped to ask him a question, he would just stare and say nothing. He just seemed to look through them as though he could see through their souls.

Wendell and Mordred followed the rider down a long hill and through a very narrow rocky ledge. Suddenly he dismounted in front of a small lake. He made a motion for the two to do the same.

Wendell and Mordred jumped off their horses. "I like your sparkling conversation," Mordred said smartly to the man as he stood next to him.

"Mordred hush," Wendell commanded him.

They walked forward until the man bade them to stop. "This is getting ridiculous," Mordred mouthed to the king through clenched teeth.

"We have no other choice," Wendell mouthed back.

"I do," Mordred answered going back to his horse and preparing to remount. "I'm leaving!"

"Stop son of Arthur Pendragon," a clear wispy voice called. The men looked at the White Rider.

"I'm sorry did you just say something?" Mordred asked.

"I did," the White Rider replied. "You seek the advice of the witch Baba Yagga for your kingdom." He turned to Wendell who nodded. "And for your soul." He turned to Mordred who tried not to reveal his astonishment.

Wendell stood closer to the man. "Yes that's true. Do you know the way to her house?"

The White Rider nodded. "Indeed I do, but to get through that way you must cross the paths brought on by myself and my two brothers and to see things that you do and do not want to see. Men and women have been driven to death and madness from seeing these things. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Wendell and Mordred looked at each other with fear and determination in their eyes. "We have been warned about the dangers of the Black Forest," Wendell replied. "We are ready." He looked to Mordred who nodded in a more reproachful manner.

"Both of you must sit here," the White Rider motioned for them to sit on the banks of the pond. " I represent the morning of all lives and you must listen and look at what had gone before you in your past to know what lies ahead of you in your future. Will you agree to this?"

Mordred and Wendell glanced at each other and they nodded. The White Rider moved aside and bade them to sit. At first Wendell couldn't see or hear anything, but then looked inside the lake at his reflection in the water. Instead of his own face bobbing in the water he could see a familiar scene and relived it as he had countless times througout his life:

Prince Wendell and his father, King Whitney stood in front of his mother's coffin. Her funeral was a stately affair with many people in attendance. Many of the Fourth Kingdom residents knelt down to kiss her coffin to pay their respects. Whitney stood in somber silence, his head low, holding his son's hand. Wendell stood next to his father his vision being blurred by the tears that he stubbornly refused to let fall. The only thought in his head was that Queen Ashley, his mother with the soft red hair that Wendell would gently tug as a child, the woman who would sing lullabies to him in such a soft pleasant voice, his mother was no more.

Wendell looked up to see someone touch his hand and then King Whitney's hand. It was Nanny Christine. "I must offer my condolences," she said. "I cannot help but feel partly responsible."

"You are partly responsible", Wendell muttered to himself recalling how he once caught her pouring something in his mother's drink.

"Wendell hush," Whitney commanded. "Thank you Nanny Christine, you have been wonderful throughout my wife's illness."

Christine took Whitney's hand and held it even tighter and pulled closer to embrace the king and prince. Their closeness made Wendell wince with pain. Whitney cleared his throat. "Christine, please." He moved away.

"I understand sire," she said. "I have been rather forward." She then moved away, but throughout the rest of the funeral Wendell kept his eyes on his nanny. The prince was torn between his grief over his mother's death and his growing suspicions about Christine...

...Wendell sat on his bed crossing his arms in defiance listening to his father's announcement that he was getting remarried.

"Father you can't get married to Nanny Christine," Wendell protested. "She's- I hate her!"

"Wendell," Whitney wearily replied. "You are fourteen years old, act like it!" Wendell looked hurt by his father's comments. King Whitney sighed. "I'm sorry, Wendy, I'm just very tired tonight and am not feeling well. But I do love Christine. She has been like a second mother to you and has been a wonderful companion to me. I am not trying to replace your mother. I have spent seven years grieving for her, and in some ways Christine has filled that void left by her death. Do you understand? Now what is wrong with her?"

Wendell gulped. His suspicions had never really died but he never caught Christine doing anything wrong, but she always seemed so fake. Whenever she complimented anyone, the prince could catch the hardness in her eyes like she was lying through her teeth. Would his father believe him if he accused Christine without any hard evidence? And plus he did seem so happy with her, maybe it was just his imagination playing suspicions with his mind. "Nothing," Wendell grumbled. "I just don't like her."

"I am not like either of your great grandfathers, Wendell. You know I would never bring anything or anyone in this palace that would harm you or the kingdom," Whitney explained. "I trust Christine, and so should you."

Wendell sighed and unfolded his arms. "Alright. I trust her." He embraced his father as the two bade goodnight to each other, but Wendell silently vowed to continue keeping his eye on his new future stepmother...

... A scream woke Wendell up from his slumber. He had a restless night because of a slight fever, and this aroused him. He opened the door to his bedroom to see Lord Rupert running through the hallway. "Queen Christine, I have news!" Queen Christine was seated in the throne room and came in the hallway upon hearing Lord Rupert's cry.

"What is the matter, you fool, my husband is resting!" She commanded. "Need I remind you that he is ill?"

Lord Rupert stammered his face pale and Wendell could see that there was something wrong. "That is it your Majesty, your husband the king is dead."

Christine put her hands on her face and gasped. "Oh no, it cannot be."

As for Wendell he began to hyperventilate, his heartbeat coming fast. This can't be true? His father can't be dead. He was waiting for Lord Rupert to turn around and laugh telling him that it was a joke.

"No!" Wendell yelled. He ran down the stairs and ran to Christine. He knew he saw her pouring his drink, just as he had seen her do to his mother's seven years ago. "You are the cause of all this! You murderer!"

Christine laughed. "He is exciteable because of his father. Understandable, he must return to his bed!" At first Lord Rupert wouldn't move. "I am now the ruler and you will obey me!" Then her tone softened. "Never mind, Lord Rupert, I will take him to bed and then I will see to my husband."

She then grabbed Wendell by the arm. "I will forgive you for your accusation, Wendell since it was the words of a grief stricken prince, but watch what you say."

She led Wendell into his room and offered him his nightly cocoa that had been by his bed. "Now drink." When Wendell refused, she continued. "How could I have poisoned it? It's been here the whole time."

Wendell shrugged and then drank. He felt sleepy and curled up on the bed as he slept he could hear Chrisitne's voice speaking to him. "Oh Wendell if you had been able to warn your father before we married, but you couldn't could you? His death is now on your head, but the only comfort is that you won't live to feel guilty." Wendell was only conscious of the candles being dimmed as he slept...

... Mordred stood in the battlefield. All around him were the sounds of men fighting and dying. Though he fought earlier, he was not fighting now. He leaned against the tree looking at the king in his gold armour. He remembered when he first became face to face with King Arthur, his father, to tell him of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guenivere's affair. He had never seen him before then, but had heard that he was magnificent in appearance, though young one could see him as a powerful king. . Despite his initial hatred, Mordred would have to agree. Arthur did seem brave, handsome, heroic all of the stuff that most men would depend on. Mordred hated that about him, but Mordred also felt impressed. Was he really hurt when his father asked who the devil he was? He remembered his flippent answers, "Eloquently put who the devil indeed? I am hurt in my heart, not my most vulnerable spot." Was he truly hurt that his father would not acknowledge him? It did not matter now he had a job to do and he was here to do it, to destroy Arthur: Auntie Mab wanted him destroyed and he would do it.

Arthur approached him, his famous sword Excalibur in his hand. "Mordred." He greeted him with the fierceness of a trained warrior.

Mordred returned the greeting. "Father," he said appreciating the irony.

"It's time to end this," Arthur said wearily and was that a touch of regret? No Mordred didn't want to think about that.

"We agree on that point at least," Mordred said sarcastically. "You know had you lived, I don't think we would have ever truly been happy." Better to think what was not and never will be. Better instead to fight to the finish.

The two fought axe to sword. Arthur pushed Mordred forward and in the confusion, Mordred could feel the back of his own axe buried into his chest. Mordred screamed as he felt his blood pouring out of his body. He looked up at Arthur. The king could barely be seen through Mordred's black helmet. He removed it so he could look one more time at his father through his own eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mordred," Arthur said. For a half second Mordred was stunned. After all of this, King Arthur still felt sorrow at what he would do? After Mordred started a revolution, and had Arthur's wife nearly burned? He could still forgive him? Mordred knew he had to continue before he let the realization sink in that was killing not only a good king but his own father.

Maybe he could appeal to Arthur's own guilt. "Tut, tut Father another sin," he mocked. "You would kill your own son." King Arthur's eyes softened and his hand stayed. Mordred could see regret in the older man's face and pity, and was that forgiveness?

No, Mordred thought to himself, do it now! He couldn't feel remorse about this. This was the moment he had prepared his whole life for being told either by his aunt or his mother every night before he went to bed how evil King Arthur was. Being taught to fight picturing each person that he slaughtered was King Arthur. He was a creature without pity or emotion Mab had seen to that, well Mab and his mother and in some ways his father. He was destined to kill Arthur and he would do it. Without another thought he plunged his sword into his father's chest.

Arthur drew back and instantely pushed Excalibur through Mordred's chest. As he fell, Mordred should have been happy that his job was complete but he felt nothing. Not sorrow, not regret at his own life slipping away, not jubilation at his mission complete, not remorse over Arthur's death. He felt nothing but darkness...

Wendell woke up suddenlly. "I should have told him!" he said. "I let my father die! I wanted to, but he wouldn't listen! I should have made him!"

At that exact moment Mordred woke up. "He could have saved me and I killed him!"

Wendell looked around. He was not in Castle White hearing about his father's death and being poisoned by his stepmother. He was now in the Black Woods, hearing the sounds of morning larks and the wind blowing through the branches with the White Rider looking over at them, his face impassive and nonchalant.

Mordred also seemed to adjust to reality, but Wendell noticed that he kept looking down at his hands and chest as if still seeing the blood on them.He even seemed to rub his hands, as though he were washing the imaginary blood away. He caught his breath slowly and rapidly. "Why have you done that?" he hissed to the Rider.

"I?" The White Rider replied. "I did nothing, you did."

Wendell had no answer and Mordred was shaking. "You will find my brother-"

"-What makes you think that we would want to see your brother?" Mordred said slowly. Wendell glowered at the Rider but considered it tactful to remain silent.

"Without seeing both of my brothers you will never see Baba Yagga," The Rider smartly replied. "To find my older brother, you two must go into the clearing in the forest and you will find him."

He then disappeared into the breeze, his voice still echoing on the wind.

Mordred and Wendell rose to the clearing path that the White Rider pointed out. They dismounted to walk a little closer. Neither one of them would speak of the events that they had witnessed, but they weren't far from their minds.

In his mind, Wendell saw the deaths of his mother and father by his stepmother, and how he couldn't help. Why did he let them die? Did he? Could he have warned them? Would it matter, now that they were dead? What kind of son and king did that make Wendell to think that way?

He rubbed his head in annoyance.

He looked at Mordred. The knight was muttering to himself most of which Wendell did not understand but he caught words like "murderer", "Betrayer," and "Father." He held his sword tightly as if anticipating an enemy. Wendell couldn't imagine what Mordred saw, but knew that it must have been awful. Wendell gently touched the other man's shoulder as if to give him a sign that he wasn't alone. Mordred drew back as though he were bitten by a snake. He glanced at Wendell, his eyes were glazed over and dilated. He snarled at the king, but then turned back not saying anything else.

The king and knight walked to the clearing without too much trouble. Considering all that they had been through, neither was surprised to see a rider mounted on a horse. Unlike the White Rider, this one was decked out in red. He wore red armour from head to toe and was mounted on a flaming scarlet horse. He removed his helmet to reveal his long waist length auburn hair and eyes that were like flaming embers. He carried a sword that blew in flames in one hand and carried a gold goblet in his hand.

"Welcome King Wendell White and Mordred, Son of Arthur Pendragon," The Red Rider greeted in a low warm voice. "You wish to seek answers."

"What must be done?" Wendell asked. Secretly, he was afraid to find out what would happen but he knew that they had to be done.

The Red Rider held his goblet in front of him. Closer the two men saw it had a dark red liquid inside. "I represent the day in the lives of all men and women and you must hear and see yourself as you are now to see into your future. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Wendell looked to Mordred. He looked as though he hadn't heard the Red Rider's words. "I will but I don't think that he is well enough to make that decision."

"I can speak for myself," Mordred interrupted, his voice hoarse and quiet. "I am willing."

The Red Rider then handed them the drink. "Drink this and you shall see and learn."

Mordred hesitated, but took the drink. It felt hot like pure fire falling down his throat. He held it open for Wendell who drank after him. The king gagged and Mordred could tell that he looked just as sick as Mordred felt. Mordred tried to take another step, but he felt dizzy and faint. The world seemed to spin around him and he struggled to keep balance but the ground closed in on him as he fell...

... Mordred woke to find himself surrounded by the same walls that he saw through most of his eternal existance. He groaned, back in the Underworld. Was his escape into the 9 Kingdoms just a dream then? A distraction to keep his mind occupied from the long centuries of torture? Golden eyes peered out at him from every corner boring into his soul and accusing him. He turned from them putting his hands over his eyes. As he did so, he noticed that his wrists were no longer bound by the chains. He laughed and looked down at his ankles, they were free as well. He laughed and stood ready to walk away from this prison. As he walked he heard a distinct sound almost like a raven's cawing. Mordred tried to ignore it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it sounded like it was calling his name. "Dread!" It cried. "More dread! Mordred! Murder! More dread!" It cawed. Mordred clenched his hands into fists ready to fight the words off as he could hear the birds getting closer, but the sounds multiplied. A flock of birds flew down at him crowding around him each one calling his name with those accusations. "More dread! Murderer! More dread!" Mordred fought them off with his fists struggling as the birds crowded around him almost devouring him with those words.

Mordred could see an opening as he pushed the birds away from him. The knight covered his ears and shut his eyes from the accusations and ran to a far off tunnel to get away from the words. Not caring where he was going, he lost his footing and fell screaming into a hole below...

... Wendell found himself floating in the air. His body felt light like there was no weight at all to it.

He looked down below to see the villages flying by from under him. He recognized them as those from the Fourth Kingdom. He suddenly heard his name being called on the currents of wind. He then felt weight returning to him as he landed in a burning village.

The chaos was enormous! He was in Beantown, but things were hardly from their usual bust productive selves. People were running down the streets as their homes and shops caught on fire. Mountain Trolls killed people with their axes and grabbed others throwing them in their carts.

Wendell winced at the scene, but then grabbed his sword ready for action.

All of a sudden his eyes were focused on a young man and woman who were trying their best to fight off their intruders. ."Why doesn't King Wendell protect us?" she asked.

The man scoffed. "Can't you see? He turned coward and ran!"

Wendell shook his head. "No, it's not true! I would never do that!" But the people couldn't hear him.

"You speak treason!" the woman accused.

"I speak truth," the man replied. "When Relish the Troll King attacked our villages three years ago, where was he? Nowhere to be found!"

"But he returned with his head," the woman reminded him.

"No, that was a trick remember?" he said. "He was no good for us then and he is no good for us now. He is nothing but a shadow of a king!"

"He could be dead," the woman yelled.

"If he is not we should call for a regime change anything would be better than King Wendell the Witless!" The couple moved further along until they could not be seen.

"That's not true!" Wendell stammered. He reached to attack the young man to shake him and make him see that he really did care for his people, but his body floated through the non responsive couple and he fell to the ground.

"I should be here," Wendell muttered. "I should have helped them." He tried to rise but no one could see him. He fell once more feeling the flames gather around him...

...Every bone in Mordred's body felt like it was broken. A boot stood in front of him. Mordred reached out to touch it and see whom it belonged to. He looked up the person's body and red and gold uniform and found himself face to face with King Arthur. "Father," Mordred spat.

"You are not worthy to address me as that," Arthur said icily. Mordred stood up to look his father in the eyes. He looked cold and emotionless, nothing like how he remembered.

Arthur grabbed him by the arm and squeezed it so tightly that Mordred thought that he would break it. The young knight winced in pain. "My son, my murderer, my bane," he whispered in his ear. "My monster!"

Mordred pulled himself from his father's grasp. "You are hardly one to speak of morals, an adulterer who slept with his own sister and allowed Guenivere her menage a trois!"

"Yes but my sin did not have me marked for all eternity, instead it created our destruction! Yours is remembered," Arthur said. " I should have ordered you killed at birth, a creature without feeling or pity!"

"Then why didn't you?" Mordred asked. The king drew back and Mordred realized what was going on. "You're not my father!"

The spirit transformed into the image of Mordred's mother, Morgan Le Fey. "No, I am a demon," she said. "I am your evil all of the evil that you have done and will do!"

"It matters little to me," Mordred replied but even he could not convince himself of that.

The spirit transformed again, this time in the image of Frick. All around him, Mordred could see demons closing in on them through the walls. "Oh it doesn't? Why don't you see for yourself?"

Mordred suddenly found himself in front of a familiar cliff. It was Tintagel Castle, his mother's home in Cornwall but it was not Tintagel Castle anymore. Where once stood a beautiful castle replete with spleandour and elegance, now was a shell with nothing but walls. He could see a group of people surrrounding the castle. They held glossy booklets and strange objects that flashed. Mordred was blinded by the flashes. An overweight woman stood at the front and pointed at the castle. "This is the famous Tintagel Castle where Arthur was conceived during the famous one night stand between his mother, Igraine and father Uther Pendragon. It was rumoured to also be the home of his sister, Morgan Le Fey and her son, Mordred. Mordred as many of you know I'm sure was evil personified! Born of an incestuous union, his whole destiny was to kill his own father. There were even rumours that Mordred was not the son of King Arthur, but instead the son of a demon."

"That is not true!" Mordred objected but no one could hear him.

"He certainly acted like it," one of the tourists replied and the other tourists laughed. Mordred mimicked their laughter.

The tout guide nodded. "At the very least even if he wasn't a monster he certainly behaved as one. He tried to take over Camelot during his father's absence and wed his father's wife, Guenivere. Remember this was a time when marrying one's stepmother was considered incest. This fact proves his evil. Every move and aspect of his life detailed his evil nature. It was even believed that Sir Thomas Malary supported Arthur's decision to have Mordred killed at birth, and his only flaw was not making sure that the job was complete!"

"You are a lier," Mordred screamed at the woman. He had heard this version of the story in the Underworld before and even though he laughed at it then, now it bothered him. This is what people said about him, what was he? Next to him, his personal demon took the form of King Wendell . It laughed and whispered mockingly in his ear, "Die, dear Auntie Mab it is the last thing that I shall ever do." ...

... Wendell returned to reality seeing the Black Forest all around him. He still recalled the images that he saw. After he left Beantown, he astral traveled to Kissing Town, Little Lamb Village, even the villages near the castle were under attack and everywhere he went he could hear people calling his name. Many cried out for him to save them to help them in their time of need. But some cursed his name and many words were less kind than the young man in Beantown. Some called him "incompetent ruler" "cruel dictator," "and an insult to the true name of White." A small group was even ready to march to Castle White and order Wendell to be disposed and would have done it if they hadn't been captured by a Mountain Troll. Wendell fell his hands and knees on the ground and caught his breath. Was it true? Was he fit to rule? He thought of his beloved grandmother, Snow White. She told him that he would make a good ruler someday. What did she know? Would she have ever left her people in such a mess?

Mordred woke up also recalling the images and voices in his head. After he left the tour group at Tintagel, he could hear his name everywhere. In a high school classroom a teacher was explaining to her students that Mordred "was created to bring dissenssion to Camelot." A priest was telling his flock about the "spawns of the devil throughout time" including Adolf HItler, Judas Iscariot, and Mordred himself. The image that hurt worst was the one he could never forget: He saw his mother Morgan Le Fey in a white gown talking with another woman he knew to be Virginia Wolf. How she got here, he did not ask, but he did hear what she said: "I can't think of my son with any sort of affection. What kind of mother would feel that way about her son, the only child she would ever have?" Mordred felt cold and alone upon hearing those words.

It was like when he was in the Underworld hearing his name. Before he had gotten used to it, why did it effect him now? Because he saw and heard what people said? Was it because that he had been away from the underworld for so long that he had forgotten what it was like? Or were they finally starting to get to him, now that he had no defense? The demons closed in around him always surrounding him.

Mordred looked around the forest. He could see the demons even now! They were in the trees and in the ground! The trees contained the eyes that always seemed to follow him and accuse him! From far away he could hear the birds chanting once again his name, "More dread! More dread! Murder!"

"I will end this!" Mordred yelled at the demons swirling around him. He raised his sword and ran.

Wendell turned to his companion. He couldn't see or hear anything apart from the usual sounds of the forest. "Mordred where are you going?" He followed Mordred further into the forest away from the Red Rider and into the approaching night.

Mordred dashed through the forest. Everywhere around him he could hear the voices of accusation from the sounds of the bird's. He could see the eyes burning into him from the trees and all around him he could feel the presence of the demon's from the Underworld. He wanted to fight them off, but they were overpowering, it was as if the entire Earth declared him guilty. Mordred covered his ears and shut his eyes, but still the accusations were all around him! "No!" he screamed. He felt someone fall into him and tackle him to the ground.

Wendell kept a grip on the knight. Mordred struggled in Wendell's grasp as he maintained his control on him. "Mordred, there isn't anything there," Wendell said. "It's all in your mind."

"There all around me," Mordred said quickly throwing Wendell to the ground until he was on top of him. "They come to me as my enemies, even you! I will silence you, I will silence all of you!"

Wendell once again knocked him down keeping his grip on him and holding him by the wrists. "I am not your enemy, Mordred and I will not be silenced!"

Mordred seemed to struggle and come back to life. He breathed a bit and seemed to calm down, perhaps more out of exhaustion than any acceptance of reality. The fiery look in his eyes seemed to calm down to a slower resilience and languidness. "I am in control now," he said. "Thank you."

Realizing that Mordred was better, Wendell removed his grip on him. "I wonder where the third rider is," Wendell said aloud. _And whether you should follow him_, Wendell thought glancing at his companion. It was clear that Mordred was teetering on the edge of madness. If he had another scare he may lose his mind completely. Wendell wondered how much longer he could handle these visions himself.

Suddenly Wendell heard a sound like a horse's snort and he could see the four legs of a black horse. Mordred saw it too and the two followed the trail of an ebony horse all the way up to its rider. He was dressed in black armour and carried a black lance. He removed his helmet to reveal raven colored locks that trailed down to his waist and dark eyes that glittered in the moonlight.

"You have made it past my brothers," The Black Rider spoke in a low threatening voice. "You have one more test before you reach the Baba Yagga through me. You wish to turn back."

Mordred did not speak, but Wendell thought about it. "I cannot."

The Black Rider nodded. "Very well then. Through me, you will see your night as all men and women do. You will see what you will become." He pointed at a small cave that one would have to crouch down to get inside. "Go through there and you will know what lies in store for you. I will then lead you to Baba Yagga."

Wendell slowly rose and looked inside the cave. The wind howled inside seemed to warn them away, but the king gathered up his courage and prepared to head for the cave. Mordred rose and seemed to lose his balance, but he too walked inside following the king into the cave.

The cave practically glittered with the crystals that emanated from the walls. The stalagtites and stalagmites glowed with an eerie iridescent green and blue light. As Wendell and Mordred walked into the cave, they could see their images reflected from the cave walls. Wendell's reflection at first just seemed to imitate the king's movements moving from wall to wall. Mordred appeared to follow close behind him warily, then stopped. Suddenly, the scene changed and the reflections of Wendell and Mordred were in the Black Forest. Wendell looked behind him to make sure that Mordred was still close by, even calling his name. Mordred raised his sword and grabbed Wendell by the wrist throwing him against a tree. Though neither of them could hear what was said in the reflections, Wendell's face at first showed fear and confusion, as Mordred argued with him. Wendell's mouth did not move and he stood silent and at attention his mouth opening once as Mordred ran the sword through the king's stomach. The king convulsed and then lowered his head and remained still.

The next scene showed King Wendell's funeral. It was a modest affair with only a few mourners in attendance, not the stately affair that both his parent's funerals were. A priest spoke for a very short time, then Wendell was buried unceremoniously in an unmarked grave. The next scene showed Wendell's courtiers signing a contract which gave sovereignty to the remaining kingdoms.

The next scene showed Mordred on a battlefield hacking creatures left and right, his sword bloody from the many battles. He staggered through the dead bodies, his face twisted and full of hatred. His body seemed to be weighted by his deeds, as he stumbled forward. He walked until he was alone in a field. He looked down at his bloody sword and the blood that fell on his hands. Mordred then fell to his knees to the ground below.

"Noo!" Mordred yelled. He collapsed to the ground of the cave. Wendell also sprang back to life, and put his hand on Mordred's shoulder. The former knight was shivering uncontrollably and began to rock back and forth. He kept muttering "The monster brings dread," over and over. Wendell gently held Mordred up by the shoulders and led him out of the cave.

True to his word, The Black Rider waited outside for him. As soon as they were outside, Wendell let go of Mordred who fell onto the ground. He hugged his knees and rocked back and forth in a slow manner. "The bane and the son are one and the same," he said slowly as if unaware of the other's presence. "He brings death. He always has always will. All of the Earth sees him."

Wendell knelt down next to his companion. Mordred's eyes were completely dilated and he had a blank stare as though he was unaware of the world. His hair was in a tangle and his face was like death.

"You know what you have seen," The Black Rider asked. "You knew before."

Wendell nodded. "I have had that same dream for weeks before these events happened."

The Black Rider smirked. "And you still travel with him."

"I had no choice," Wendell answered.

"You do have a choice," The Black Rider said. "And you made it. Some run from preceived death others choose not to run from it."

"I wonder if I made the right one," Wendell said. Mordred stopped rocking and sat still and nonresponsive. "Why does this not affect him the same way that it does me? Why is it so difficult for him?"

"He will not allow himself to feel remorse," The Black Rider replied. "Yet he is troubled by who and what he is for the first time he is becoming aware."

Wendell shuddered remembering the people's words about him and his unmarked grave. "Is this really what we are and what we will become?"

"It remains for you to decide, Wendell White," The Black Rider answered. "Baba Yagga's house is down that road."

"Thank you," Wendell said. Just then the Black Rider disappeared into the wind.

It was on the tip of Wendell's tongue to go ahead and make the trip to Baba Yagga, but he knew Mordred would never be able to make the journey. He was under no condition to travel again for the night. Wendell lay Mordred down in the grass, he then looked at the trees and felt for a strong vine. They appeared strong enough to hold Mordred at least for the night anyway. Wendell bound his companion by the wrists and ankles. "It will keep you from harming others or yourself."

"The only way to stop me is to stop me forever," Mordred mumbled. He then fell to the ground and rested.

Wendell removed his jacket and placed it on the body of the shivering man. "The Earth hates me, all who know me hate me, but why are you doing this?"

Wendell thought. Was he doing this for the hope that Mordred wouldn't kill him? He couldn't convince himself of that nor could he convince himseld that he was doing this because Mordred saved his life by the river or to clear his own name. Right now did any of that matter except what comfort he could give to Mordred? He thought and then recalled Henry V. Virginia once surprised him with a collection of plays by the Tenth Kingdom author, William Shakespeare. Wendell was instantely transfixed in the worlds and conflicts of the nobles, and royalty of the plays, he even had a 9 Kingdoms troupe perform the plays on a regular basis. One of his favorites were Henry IV and V, because he related to the tale of Prince Hal, a young spoiled prince thrust into kinghood at an early age and was always tested to prove himself.

He knew of only one thing that he could say to Mordred that might give him comfort, "We few we happy few, we band of brothers/For he who sheds his blood with me today shall be my brother."

Mordred stopped twitching long enough for Wendell to be convinced that he was asleep. He then lay next to him but even though he was exhausted the images filtered through his mind making his sleep a very troubled and fitful one.


	10. Chapter Ten: The Devil's Games

Chapter Ten: The Devil's Games

_I never made promises lightly_

_But there've been some that I've broken_

_But I swear in the days still left_

_We'll walk in fields of gold_

_We'll walk in fields of gold_."

From "Fields of Gold" by Sting

Merlin, Nimue, and Tony walked slowly into the dark mountains. Even though it was daytime, they could barely see in front of each other. Merlin held up his staff, "Light," he commanded. A light sprung from the handle of the staff like a torch.

Tony was amazed. "Wow that's incredible!" he said.

Merlin shrugged. "It's nothing." But he grinned.

"Do you know where the Grail is?" Tony asked.

Merlin shook his head, but then spoke quietly as if he were unaware of the other two. "Let the light guide you."

"Huh?" Tony asked.

Merlin turned to the other two. "Oh it was a dream I had, when we fell asleep on the bank. Before we encountered the Mountain Trolls? I dreamt I was standing in a cave and it was dark, but I couldn't get my magic to bring light, but I saw the Grail on one side of a cliff and suddenly, King Arthur stood next to me. He told me to 'Let the light guide me.'" He noticed that Tony and Nimue's face blanched and their mouths dropped open stunned and amazed. "What? What's the matter?"

"I had a similar dream," Nimue said.

"So did I," Tony agreed. "Though not quite the same."

"What happened in your dreams?" Merlin asked.

"I dreamt I was in a castle and I saw my father, Lord Adante," Nimue replied, her voice obviously confused and coming to terms with a possible divine intervention. "I was terrified because I was being chased by these horrible demons and he told me 'Don't be afraid to hide in the darkness to find it.'"

"It seems to contradict what I was told," Merlin reasoned. "But it definately will help." He turned to Tony. "And you?"

Tony shook his head still trying to block the images out. "I dreamt that I was in a cave and I heard this song playing, 'Whiter Shade of Pale'' You never heard it?" Tony asked looking at their confused stares. He sang a little. " 'We skipped the light fandango/And turned cartwheels on the floor.' No? Okay, anyway I saw my ex-wife and we started dancing together and I heard Virginia's voice outside the cave, so I tried to help her. But Christine, my ex-wife, tried to stop me. She told me something about queens, like the queens will help you or find the way or some wierd stuff like that."

"From what I understand travelers often recieve signs the closer they are to the Grail," Merlin replied. "Especially when they are going in the right direction."

During his and Tony's discussion, they were unaware that Nimue had been walking further ahead of them hypnotized. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and was intrigued. Walking closer to investigate, she looked at the top of the hill to see what it was. She saw it and screamed as loud as she could.

Merlin and Tony ran up to her. "What's the matter love?" Merlin asked embracing his wife and cradling her to his chest. Nimue pointed upwards. The source of her screaming was the skull of a ver large dragon used as a doorway.

"It's just the skeleton of a dragon," Tony said.

Nimue caught her breath and calmed down. "I'm sorry I'm a litle embarrassed. I have this fear of dragons ever since one scarred me years ago."

"That's all right, it's no big deal," Tony said. "Wendell said there is a bunch of dragon skeletons lying around. In fact we went through one to find the dwarve's mine. He said they are all over the place."

"To ward off evil," Merlin reasoned. "Many Celtic tribes did the same thing." He then closed his eyes and reflected. Off the currents of wind, he could hear a sound like someone was chanting. It seemed to come from one of the doorways. He couldn't ignore it. "Our doorway is in there," he said pointing to a cave that was waist length to the travelers. It was dark inside and the wind howled through.

"Are you kidding?" Tony said. "You're insane!"

"It's the only way in," Merlin replied in the wearying tone of a teacher explaining to a troubled student.

"Yeah," Tony said using his hands to demonstrate. "The doorway is this big and we are this big! I'm not doing it!"

"Are you in this with us or not," Merlin asked.

"You do want to save Virginia, don't you?" Nimue asked.

Tony looked from the magician to his wife. They closed in on him their faces so close that he couldn't breathe. They both made valid points and he sighed. "Alright let's go."

"Good,"Merlin said. The three knelt down and Merlin took Nimue's hand. He bade Tony to do the same. "We don't know what's in there so step only where I step."

"Step only where I step," mimicked Tony. Nimue shushed him as Merlin crawled into the cave. He then adjusted his body to the far end keeping his feet away from a hole. He took Nimue's hand and helped ease her into the cave. As she fell into the cave, she bumped into Merlin. He almost lost his footing but was able to maintain his and Nimue's balance.

"Okay Tony come on," Merlin said as he and Nimue held out their hands. Tony hesitated but gingerly crawled into the cave taking the duo's hands as they helped him stand. He stood in the small area satisfied that he didn't fall, when suddenly his foot fell on some loose gravel. He then fell tumbling into Nimue and then into Merlin. With a scream, the three fell into the hole below!

Tony felt like he could fall forever in the dark. He remembered when Virginia was little and he read her the story of Alice in Wonderland. He read the part where Alice fell through the rabbit hole and Virginia asked what that was like. "I have no idea honey," Tony remembered answering. "But it must have been dark." Tony now knew what it must have been like.

He didn't fall very quickly, but instead seemed to fall slowly riding on the currents of wind. Unlike in Alice, where she could see a whole bunch of things on her way down, a chair, a jar marked "Grape Jelly" (or was it Orange Marmalade, he couldn't remember?) all he saw were the four walls of stone and rock around him well what he could make out in the dark. He didn't see Merlin or Nimue falling with him., but he could hear them. "Merlin, where are you?"

"Down here, Tony," Merlin yelled back. "I haven't landed yet."

"Sorry bout this," he said.

"That's all right, Tony," the wizard replied. "That can't be helped!" Tony heard two grunts as he guessed that Merlin and Nimue landed on the ground. Then, with a force of impact, that felt like it would break Tony's bones, he landed on the ground right on top of Merlin and Nimue.

"Ouch," Nimue said.

"Sorry," Tony said sheepishly. He then crawled off of them. "Are you guys all right?"

"I'll live," Nimue answered. Merlin nodded his agreement, but his thoughts seemed to be far away.

"He's doing it again," Tony mouthed to Nimue.

"Shh," Merlin said. "I hear them."

"Hear who?" Tony was about to argue when his ears perked up. He heard the chanting too! He couldn't make out words but Tony had seen enough horror films to know that hearing chanting was never good!

Merlin stood up and took Nimue's hand. "It's coming from the left." He then grabbed Tony's arm and forcerd him up.

"And I suppose you want us to follow it," Tony said.

"Of course we do," Nimue answered testily.

"Figures," Tony grumbled as he followed them to the source of the chanting.

They walked on in the darkness, not speaking just listening to the chanting as it got louder the closer they got. Tony looked around the dark and imposing walls of the tunnel.. He could just make out faces in them following the trio with their eyes. He hoped it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. The three travelers formed a chain through the narrow tunnel as Merlin linked his hand with Nimue's and she linked her's with Tony. The cave was such a tight squeeze that they could only walk sideways barely fitting in between the two walls. Tony felt like they were walking forever, when his face suddenly felt flushed. It was getting hotter! Merlin held up his hand and felt the air. "We go through there," he whispered pointing to the open end of the tunnel.

The trio held each other's hands even tighter. Nimue grabbed Tony's hand, so tightly that he felt like she was breaking it. He adjusted his hand so she wouldn't hurt it. The two of them walked into the far end. The heat was almost unbearable With his free hand Tony wiped his forehead. Merlin also rubbed his eyes to adjust to the heat. Because both her hands were occupied, Nimue couldn't wipe her face but she panted and shook her head so her hair fell back away from her face.

When they finally reached the end of the tunnel they saw the source of the heat and the chanting. They were on a outcropping of rock overlooking a fiery pit and all around the pit were red and black demons. They were small and thin in appearance with narrow pinched faces. Their eyes seemed to burn with red and yellow.Some had horns on their heads, while others just had pointy ears. Some of them danced around the flames, but most of them were lined up in a haphazrd manner, but they were all chanting: "Hail to the Dark Queen/ Hail to the Dark Goddess/Now is our time/Now is our hour/The world will see all of our power." They continued chanting until they broke out into a cackling fit of laughter.

A demon stood at the front. He was taller than the others and completely black in appearance. His eyes were large and almost looked like an insect's eyes except larger. His dark hair curled to it's sides and his mouth was shaped in a permanent "O" position. His voice was hoarse and seemed to sound like fire. "Yes," he said to his minions. "Soon now that the Dark Goddess has made her covenent with the Dark Queen, they are shaping the world for our means. We will come out of hiding and take our rightful place!"

From their listening posts, Nimue smirked. "He likes listening to himself speak, doesn't he?"

"They must be talking about Mab," Merlin said.

"And the Swamp Witch," Tony added. Merllin nodded. They looked around the place. "I don't see the grail do you?" Tony asked. A lot of good that will help, he thought, I don't know what it looks like.

"It's there, I know it is," Merlin said.

Yeah sure, Tony thought sarcastically. He turned from that direction behind him and saw three demons staring straight at him! Nearly frozen with fear, he tapped Merlin and Nimue on the shoulder.

"What is it now, Tony?" Merlin asked testily. He tapped them again and they turned. The three demons forced them to stand and held out their spears at them.

The Demon King was continuing his speech when he saw his three guards coming down from the hill onto the ground with three prisoners, two men and a woman.

"We are sorry to interrupt my lord," said one of the guards in a husky female voice. "But we found these intruders. What shall we do with them?"

"We come to seek the Holy Grail," Merlin commanded. The demons broke into laughter.

"You have?" The Demon King snickered. "No one sees our gift!"

"What do you mean your gift?" Nimue snapped.

"It came to us from out of the sky," The Demon King explained. "It's ours!"

"We need it," Merlin said. "It was ours originally."

"Well that's too bad," The Demon King said. "It now belongs to us!"

The demons crowded around them. Tony didn't know what was going to happen, but he imagined it wouldn't be good. "Okay it's yours, toodle-loo!" he said as Merlin pulled him back.

"We have come to take the Grail," Merlin said to the demons. "And we will do it by speech or by force."

"If that is the way it must be," The Demon King replied. "Tear out their livers!" The demons crowded into them, baring their sharp teeth. Merlin, Nimue, and Tony crowded into each other.

"Wait!" a voice yelled. All of the demons stopped their behaviour as a small gray creature appeared. He looked like the other lower demons, but something in his swaggering demeanour showed that he was of some authority.

Merlin recognized him immediately. "Boggart," he said disdainfully.

"Merlin, Mab's old student," Boggart said ruefully. "Made a quite a name for yourself. How...disappointing." He then turned to Nimue. "Is this the lady that I've heard so much about? So tell me is this relationship solid? I mean do I have a shot at you at all?" Nimue's only response was a slug on the little creature's mouth. " I guess not." Then he turned to Tony. "Ah a new crony. Let's see not from England, definately has the unwashed smell of having used to be a cleaner. Looks spineless, balding, and buffoonish. Don't tell me, Sir Antony the Vapid!"

"Valient," Tony corrected the annoying creature.

"Vapid, valient, same thing," Boggart said.

The Demon King then grabbed the Boggart by the collarbone. The smaller creature winced in pain. "Why do you not want me to destroy them? We have orders from the Dark Goddess!"

The Boggart waved his hand bored. "Yes, yes, I know but I also know you. Either glomp on them and you eat them or torture them for all eternity. Or they defeat you, take the Grail and la-di-da goodness wins again!" He gagged at the prospect. "Wouldn't it be more fun to make them earn their right to the Grail?"

"How do you mean?" The Demon King asked.

"Yes how?" Merlin replied.

The Boggart faced the three newcomers. "Do you like games?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Each one will play a game that tests their skill in one way or another. If they win all three, they get the Grail and get to leave. If we win all three, they get to remain here and you my Lord will have a new snack!"

The Demon King considered this prospect. "I know you Boggart you are a prankster you may have this set in one way or another. On the other hand, it would prove diverting. Very well, I agree! Let the games-"

"-Wait my lord," The Boggart said. "They haven't yet agreed to this! What say you?"

The three of them went into a huddle to discuss. "It appears that we have no choice," Merlin said.

"I think I would choose to wait to get eaten later over getting eaten now," Tony said.

"Unver the circumstances, we had better take this suggestion," Nimue said. They broke away.

"We accept," Merlin said.

The Boggart nodded. "Alright, the wizard will go first." Suddenly there was a flash of light filled the room. When it ended, Nimue and Tony were in seperate cages and Merlin was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Merlin?" Nimue gasped. "What have you done with him?" She yelled at her captors.

"We have taken him to do his test," The Boggart replied.

"But you didn't say that we wouldn't be together," Nimue said.

"You didn't ask," the Boggart smirked. "It's the way I planned it."

"Why you bastard!" Nimue said wanting to fight him through the bars.

"Why not have us play these games at once and be done with it?" Tony asked.

"It's more fun, this way," The Boggart replied.

"Nimue, Nimue," Tony reassured her. "It's okay. He'll make it."

"I hope you're right, Tony," Nimue said. "I do hope that you are right."

Merlin sat alone in the darkness though it wasn't like before. Earlier, he could feel rocks around him or at least know where he was but here it was different. He was surrounded by nothing, no rocks, no ground, no noise. It was as though he was suspended in mid air but there wasn't anything keeping him up. Even though he was confused, he could feel the presences all around him. "I know you are out there," he said quietly not wanting to betray any emotions beyond coolness and diffidence. "Come on out." He was answered by eerie demonic laughter.

He whirled around to the direction of the laughter, but was clawed by a demon. Merlin drew back in pain. The demons around him once again laughed and as he turned to the other side, he was once again met with scratches. With each scratch the wizard felt weakened, by the loss of blood. "Is this your game," he wheezed. "To claw me until I lie defeated?"

The demons laughed once more. "No," the Demon King's voice could be heard. "You must find a way to defeat all of us at once."

Merlin tried to reach out for one of the demon's arm, but he sprinted from him. He felt another claw at his face. He tried once more and this time a demon clawed him so hard that he fell to the ground.  
Lying on his back, he could see clearer out of the corner of his eye. As the demon's claws struck down, he could see little sparks of red light emerging from the claws as they tried to strike. Suddenly, Arthur's words came back to him: Let the light guide you.

"You boys are too tense," Merlin wryly observed. "You need to relax!" The second time he saw the red light emerging from the claw, he stopped it with his own magic and forced the demon back. He then spread his arms out wide, and chanted, "Anail nathrach ortha bhais bheatha do thuar dheanamh!" Suddenly, a yellow light filled the entire room! The demons that before he couldn't see had surrounded him in a circle. Now they drew back covering their eyes and cowering from the light. Merlin himself was so used to the darkness that he, Tony, and Nimue had encountered the past few days that he felt temporarily blinded. He blinked to adjust his eyesight to the light. Before his very eyes, the demons turned to stone right in front of him!

He stood and sighed relieved when he heard a sarcastic clap. The boggart appeared from behind a wall and sauntered in front of them. "Congratulations, you won!" He said. "Now let's see if your companions can win as well!" A flash of light appeared and Merlin was gone.

Nimue suddenly found herself alone in a cave that shone with the brilliance of the ice on the walls. She shivered a bit in the cold. That's strange, she thought, in the demon's main lair it was hot now it's so cold that I might as well be in the North. "What kind of a test is this?" she demanded aloud.

From all around the walls she could hear the echoes of the demonic laughter. The Demon King's voice boomed throughout the walls sending small traces of ice falling from the ceiling. "We tested your husband on his magickal abilities and his strength. We are testing you on your cleverness. You must hide where my demons cannot find you. You have three chances, if you manage to elude my minions twice, you win. But if we win twice, then you belong to us!"

Hide and seek, Nimue thought sarcastically, Wonderful. She looked around the cave searching for a place to hide. She had no luck, until she looked above her head and saw a small tunnel. She pushed herself onto the hill and crawled to the top, her foot knocking over some gravel on the way down. She nearly tripped on the ice as she hoisted herself up to the top of the cave and crawled into the cave. She wasn't there for too long, before she felt a clawed hand tug her dress. A small demon glared at her right in the face. "Boo," it said then she heard that obnoxious cackle. Annoyed, she crawled out of the cave.

"That was the first time, we win," the Demon King said. "One more win and your pretty head will roll."

They disappeared again. Nimue stood in the tunnel trying to look for another place to hide. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw what gave her away. Her image was reflected on a far wall on the ice. She grunted. "I would explain that that was cheating, but somehow I think the lecture would go way over your heads." She said sarcastically. But then a thought occured to her. Maybe she could use her image to her advantage, but how? Suddenly, her father's words entered her mind: Don't be afraid to hide in the darkness to find it. She had a plan. She then stood up in the tunnel and waved at the devi's minions! She could see her image being reflected on a wall to her left. She waved once again. "Cocky just the way I like my women," she heard one say. Then she ducked back into the cave. She then crawled into the dark through the narrow ledge. She heard the devil's screams of frustration as her trick worked! She then crawled out of the cave and knelt down. Under her she could see the devil's being fooled by her kneeling image being reflected on a large wall to her right! She gave a slight giggle as she ducked back in the tunnel. This time she pushed her body higher her hands and feet getting used to crawling around in the dark. Her fingers grabbed onto the narrow ledges in front of her as she climbed upwards. When she reached the top, she once again glanced out of the cave as if searching for another place to hide. Her image then reflected on several walls. The devils ran from wall to wall confused searching in every tunnel, save the one she was in. But they could not find her!

"You win," The Demon King groaned. Nimue jumped up and down clapping her hands with delight. "But next time it won't be so easy!" Suddenly, a lightening crash emerged from the cave and hit the walls! The reflecting ice walls were now ash and liquid. "Let's see how clever you are now," the Demon King said his voice extremely smug.

Time to think of something else, she thought, How can I trick them this time? Then a thought occured to her. She ran inside a tunnel and picked up a large rock. She then tossed the rock into another tunnel next to her. Just as she suspected, she could hear the demons scampering into that tunnel. She ran inside the cave and hid behind a stalagtite for a few seconds. She could hear the footsteps of the demons entering the tunnel. She then picked up another rock and tossed it near a wall. Once again the demons ran to that wall as Nimue made her escape. Just keep moving, she told herself, hide in the dark they won't find you. Once again, she hid behind a wall of rock. She heard their cries of despair when they looked behind the stalagtite that she hid behind before. She tossed another rock to the wall across from her and made another fast getaway. She stifled a giggle. There was no point in hiding if she drew attention to herself, but this was getting to be fun. She moved her fingers along the wall feeling for an opening to the tunnel. She pushed herself through and then edged to the top. She tossed a rock to the bottom, then scampered back on to the floor to a narrow wall. Just as she suspected the demons were fooled by her dropping a rock from the ceiling and went to the top thinking that she would hide on the top of the tunnel. The demons grunted and cursed in frustration and Nimue knew that she won this game!

Suddenly, a flash of light filled the room and the demons disappeared. In their place, stood the Boggart. He walked towards Nimue's hiding place. "Beauty and brains what a package," he said. "No wonder Merlin likes you. You know if you ever get tired of being with the wizard you could always come to me."

Nimue grabbed the Boggart by the shoulder and held him up so he was face to face with her. "Let's get one thing clear, Boggart," she said. "I love Merlin and I always will! The only time that you and I would ever lie together would be if we were in a mass grave!"

"So there's still a shot?" The Boggart asked his voice wheezed in the woman's grasp. She squeezed his shoulder tighter. "Alright, you win. I like a forceful woman." Another squeeze. "Alright, alright. I'll stop, now put me down." She dropped the Boggart to the ground. "You won and you are two tests towards the Grail but let's see how Antony the Vaucous does."

Before Nimue could correct, the Boggart on Tony's nickname, she was blinded by a light and found herself back in her cage with Merlin standing across from her instead of Tony!

When Tony came to, he found himself seated in the dark. He moved his fingers up and down to get a better sense of his surroundings. He felt the frame and legs of a chair under his feet and then his hands moved in front of him and ran along the smoothness of a table top. Tony ran his fingers along his wrists, they weren't bound so what kind of game was this? He once again ran his fingers along the table top. They stopped something hard. Tony trailed his hands upward along the waxy long object in front of him. When he reached the top and felt the wick, he knew it was a candle. Satisfied, he reached into his pocket to pull out his cigarette lighter. The lighter made a small spark as he gently put it on the wick. The room gave a small light, but bright enough that Tony could see three other candles on the table. He walked to each candle lighting them. The room grew gradually brighter and he could see more and more of his surroundings. He was in a very grand room surrounded by red walls with black frescoes that looked like people being tortured. Cheery, Tony thought sarcastically. The chairs were black and the arms looked like claws. Tony shuddered not believing that he sat on that chair. The table wasn't as empty as Tony previously thought. Bowls of fruit lay on the table as well as cups of some dark liquid that Tony didn't even want to imagine it was. Small boxes also lay on the table, familiar ones to Tony. Were they cards?

Finally, the last candle was about to be lit. Tony lit the final candle and felt a shock go through him. He was surrounded by demons! They peered at him with the burning eyes and their devilish laughter. Tony was terrified and for a second considered blowing the candle out and escaping, but he knew they would find him and where would that leave Merlin and Nimue? Most importantly, where would that leave Virginia? He gathered his composure and decided to greet them. "Hello, fellas," he said.

"Hello," they mocked.

"Looks like you guys like to play cards," Tony said pointing at the card deck.

The Demon King laughed his voice echoing through the ornate room. "And that is your game," he said. "I understand that you play. This time you will play for yourself and your friend's souls!"

No pressure there, Tony thought but he gulped. He remembered when he played Snap, or Egyptian Rat in Kissing Town. He just made it when that old bat beat him! Could he play this time? The demons sat in their places as Tony's throat felt dry. he had no choice. He sat down on a chair trying to relax. "Who want's to deal?"

The poker game lasted several hours and it was extremely eventful! Sometimes Tony won and sometimes the demons won, but it was in a small amount so no major hands were exchanged. By now there were four players left, Tony and three demons.

"I'm out," one of the demons said. Tony looked at his hand, an jack, king, ten, and ace of hearts. The makings of a Royal flush. Now all he needed was a queen. Could he do it, would his luck hold out?The chips lay on the table in the amount of 5,000

"I am going to raise the stakes," said one of the demons as he grabbed a card from the deck. "To 2,000." Tony felt a chill go through him. Could the demon be bluffing? Did he have a good hand?

The other demon whistled. "Most impressive," she said. "I'm afraid my hand will not suffice, so I will only raise it by 50.00" She picked another card from the deck, her voice and face remaining as impassive than ever.

Tony shuddered. She was definately bluffing, she had a good hand. He had seen enough episodes of Grand Poker Championship to know when someone was bluffing. He felt the demon's eyes boring on him expectantely and he felt nervous himself. The only way he could win was if he had a queen, but was he that lucky? But if he lost he knew that he didn't have a choice. Suddenly in his mind he heard the song, "Whiter Shade of Pale." It took him back to his dream of meeting Christine. Her words entered his mind: The queens will find the way. He made sure that he looked as nonchalant as possible. "I'll see your 7,050 and raise it to 100." He then reached his hand on the top of the card and lifted it from the deck. As he looked at the card, all feeling and tension left his face and body. In front of him was the Queen of Hearts!

The male demon then put down his cards. "Full House read it and weep!"

The female demon shook her head. "Very good, I am impressed. That is probably the highest hand we had all night."

"Thank you," the male demon said as he tried to gather his winnings but the female demon stopped him with her hand.

"Until now," she said. Then she lay down her hand to show a straight flush. The male demon cursed as the female demon laughed smugly. She then turned to Tony. "Let's see what you have."

Tony shrugged. "You're good, probably one of the best and I am impressed but not quite good enough." He then lay down his Royal Flush. " I'd quote from Devil Went Down to Georgia, but I think you've heard it enough."

The female demon screamed in rage and tried to attack Tony, as he gathered the chips greedily. Just then a flash of light resounded through the room and Tony found himself back in the main throne room surrounded by Merlin, Nimue, and the Boggart without his winnings. "Hey, where's my money?" he asked.

"I never said that you'd get the money," said the Boggart. "They just said that you'd win!"

"Why you little-" Tony reached out to grab the Boggart as Merlin held him back. All around them they heard the scream from the demons. "That doesn't sound good," he said.

"The demons are pretty sore losers," The Boggart said pointing to a tunnel at the far right. "The Holy Grail is through that tunnel."

"Wait a minute," Nimue said. "How can we trust you?"

"How can you not?" The Boggart said. "Queen Mab ain't going to like that I helped you, but oh well I do things at my own discretion. Don't go out this way, the demons will be looking for you!"

Nimue and Tony looked to Merlin. "The Boggart has no loyalty to Queen Mab or anyone else for that matter."

"Do you really have time to sit here discussing this?" The Boggart said moving his arms around the room indicating the louder screams.

"We don't," Merlin said. "Come." He ran to the tunnel followed by Nimue and Tony.

As they left, Tony still had a complaint. "I don't want to go to that tunnel. I want to go to the croupier to cash my goddamned winnings." Their voices got further and further away until they were out of earshot.

The Boggart watched them go, a wry smile spread across their face. "Yeah they'll find the Grail. Now, should I have warned them about the Keeper? Nah, I'm sure they'll figure it out."


	11. Chapter Eleven: The Elven Islands

Chapter Eleven: The Elven Islands

_And I'm so sad, like a good book_

_I can't pull this day back_

_A sorta fairy tale with you_

_A sorta fairy tale with you_.

From "A Sorta Fairy Tale" by Tori Amos

The driver pulled over to the river in front of the Seventh Kingdom. The trip was blessedly quiet and uneventful giving the travelers enough time to talk things over and think about their mission. "Thank you, "Virginia said to the driver.

" My pleasure miss," he then turned to Wolf. "And thank you kindly sir for your payment." He said as he drove away.

"What was your payment?" Virginia asked.

"Well the guy wanted a lamb," Wolf said. "So I got one for him."

"As a pet?" Frick asked.

Wolf shook his head. "No, he had rich in-laws coming over and he wanted to have a fancy dinner made for them."

Virginia held up her hand. "Stop, I think I get the idea." She then glanced at the far end of the horizon to see if she could find any trace of their destination."I can't see the Seventh Kingdom. All I can see is fog." At the far end fog rolled in making it impossible to see the other side of the water.

"I've never been there," Wolf said. "But from what I have heard they make the land invisible to unsuspecting travelers."

Frick nodded. "I was here once years ago with Merlin and Nimue, they do all kinds of things to keep travelers unwary."

"Could they do the same thing to Excalibur?" Virginia asked.

Frick nodded. "It is a more than likely a possibility yes." Wolf nodded in confirmation.

Virginia continued. Well, how do we know where Excalibur is and what do we do with it once we find it?"

Frick shrugged. "Cinderella was a bit fuzzy on the details, remember? But she said it is in 'the graveyard of lost memories'' and we have to combine it with the Holy Grail to find Arthur's body."

"I wonder if Dad and the others are having as much trouble as we are having looking for the Holy Grail," Virginia mused.

"Yes but what about that other thing that you mentioned, what was it, the blood of Arthur?" Morgan asked remembering the story that her friends told her. "How do we get that before finding his body?"

"Maybe his blood was on something,Excalibur possibly," Virginia suggested.

"Maybe," Frick said deep in thought. "Or maybe it's something else. Well anyway, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Umm, one question speaking of crossing bridges," Morgan asked. "Excalibur is in the Seventh Kingdom the other side and we are on this side, how do we get across?"

Wolf squinted on the horizon looking for a boat or something when a sound filled his ears. He glanced over at the trees on the other side of the group.and heard a rustling in the woods. "I think someone is following us." he whispered to his friends. "They've been following us since the Fifth Kingdom. I lost scent of their trail before, but they're back!"

"Is it that female hunter who chased us earlier?" Virginia asked.

Wolf sniffed the air. "I don't know, it doesn't smell like her. It might be someone else."

"Well we don't have to worry about that now, look!" Frick pointed at the horizon as a boat appeared and sailed through the river.

"Is it an enemy boat?" Wolf said crouching down and ready to attack.

Frick looked at the approaching ship and touched Wolf on the shoulder. "Down boy, easy there Rover," he said. "That's not an enemy boat. It's a cruggah, we have those in the Otherworld. The Seventh Kingdom must have them too."

True to Frick's word, a boat appeared at the shore. It was a narrow gold colored boat with a dragon symbol on the mast and a green sail billowing in the wind. Frick grinned. "Any questions?" he said. When none came he took Morgan's hand and led her to the boat. "Ladies first."

"I guess that includes you Frick," Wolf smirked goodnaturedly still smarting about Frick's "Rover" comment. Frick sarcastically laughed at Wolf's joke.

Wolf was about to take Virginia's hand and lead her onto the boat when he caught hold of the movement again. It moved through the trees and then dropped into the water. Wolf watched the ripples move like a large animal staying ahead of the surface.

He was about to lead Virginia into the boat, when a hand reached from the water and grabbed the young woman's ankle. Virginia screamed as the figure emerged from the water. It was a man with a shaved head and a demented look in his large eyes. His gray clothing and daggers that he held at Virginia's throat gave indication as to what he was: a hunter! He held onto Virginia while she struggled in his grasp!

"Let me go!" she demanded but the hunter only grunted in reply. Virginia kicked the Hunter and punched him. He drew back and Wolf jumped up to defend her. Wolf grabbed the hunter and the two of them fought. Wolf shoved Virginia in the boat and then released it into the water. "Go, I'll be back!" he said as he struggled to fight with the Hunter. The two struggled and fell into the water below.

"Wolf!" Virginia yelled. "Wolf!" She leaned over the edge while Morgan held her back but the only sound that could be followed was Virginia's echo.

"I'm sure he will be all right," Morgan reassured the younger woman. "He seems to be a resiliant fighter.

"And he is part wolf," Frick reminded her. "They are adept at fighting in many circumstances, even under water."

"No that's not it," Virginia said her voice not bothering to contain the fear. "You don't understand! He is claustrophobic! He can't stand to be in closed in spaces anywhere, small rooms, closets, elevators, even underwater for very long! He can't stand to be anywhere where he can't roam free!"

She once again called her husband, but only recieved her echo as a mocking reply.

The boat bobbed further from the shore as the three occupants hung their heads in silence. Suddenly, ripples appeared from the surface as something moved under water. Virginia caught her breath, hoping beyond all hope, but just in case. she turned to Frick and Morgan Le Fey. "Get ready," she commanded. Frick and Morgan held their oars ready as weapons.

Suddenly, a hand emerged from the water. Virginia stepped back in surprise and anticipation. A body then clung to the oars and the occupants sighed with relief. It was Wolf! "Help him, guys," Vuirginia said. She, Morgan, and Frick pushed Wolf in. He stood up and hugged and kissed his wife. "I'm glad you're all right," she said.

"You too," Wolf said. He then pulled away and embraced Morgan in a friendly way then turned to Frick.

"I see you got your jacket off," Frick said noting that Wolf's red jacket was gone. "Glad it wasn't your shirt." But he was teasing.

Wolf smiled and grasped the gnome's hand in a brotherly grasp.

"What happened to the Hunter?" Morgan asked.

"I left him in the water," Wolf said. "We'll be safe from him for now. Let's just enjoy the ride."

The cruggah bobbed up and down in the slightly rocky waves as it moved further and further in the fog. At first Wolf, Virginia, Frick, and Morgan used their oars to propel the boat, but when they realized that the boat moved on it's own accord by magic, they just used the oars to maneuver the boat up and down the waves. Then after awhile as the waves calmed they didn't even have to do that anymore. They pulled the oars in and let the boat guide them.

The fog then began to recede and the four saw a small chain of lush green islands. There was a fragarent smell and a sweet pleasent music filled the air. Virginia marveled in amazement. "Have you ever seen such a place?" she asked.

Morgan Le Fey nodded pleased, but her voice had a wistful tone to it. "Yes, once. It looks like back home in Cornwall."

"So which one of these has the graveyard of lost memories," Virginia wondered half to herself and half to the others.

"Maybe Leaf Fall would know," Wolf suggested.

"Yes of course," Frick agreed. "The Queen of Elves. That's a splendid idea. You're entitled to one!"

"Like the idea of eating roast beef with a gnome on the side?" Wolf growled. Frick shut his mouth quickly.

"That's a good idea boys," Virginia said.

"Abosolutely," Frick and Wolf said.

"An excellent idea," she said.

"Of course," they agreed.

"The best idea we have had yet," Virginia said in mock amazement.

"Oh thanks," the two men said ignoring her obvious sarcasm.

"Except one other thing," Virginia said. "Where is she?"

Wolf and Frick stopped in mid air their expressions caught on their faces. "Well that's a problem," Wolf reasoned.

"There you have us," Frick said.

Morgan Le Fey, who remained silent during most of the conversation then pointed. "Well we won't have to decide very long. Look!"

As she pointed, the cruggah reached a shore. The four grabbed onto the sides preparing for impact! But then the boat stopped neatly by the shoreline.

"I guess we have to leave," Wolf said. The quartet stepped out of the boat and looked around.

Virginia wiped her forehead. "Is it just me or is it hot?" she asked.

"It's not you," Frick said.

"It was cool minutes ago," Morgan said. "Where is it coming from?"

Wolf sniffed the air and felt under his feet. "Down there," he pointed downwards. Sure enough, Wolf was right. The ground was hot from below. Wolf explored the closer section of the island until he came upon a door inside a hill. He knelt down and motioned his friends to check it out. Morgan, Virginia, and Frick followed suit as Wolf opened the door.

Inside the door was a large red boar next to a great glowing ball. As the boar blew on it, the ball sent warm air through the ground and out of the hill.

"I was wondering when you would come," the boar said in a low grunting voice.

"How do you know us," Virginia asked. "Our boat crashed. We are looking for Queen Lea Fall."

"Then we can benefit each other," the pig said. "I will help you and you will help us. We chanted to the father god, Lugh and Queen Leaf Fall for assistance and here you have come."

"What are you doing?" Wolf asked.

"Let me introduce myself," the pig said. "My name is Naoise." He pronounced his name, Neesa.

Frick was startled. "You mean like the Celtic warrior?"

Naoise nodded. "The very same. My mother aided him on his journey and named me for him." He then turned to the glowing ball." You have asked what this is. This is one of the lights that alight the entire island and provide us with the warmth of the Gods. It is my job to keep it safe and properly lit."

"Such a tremendous job," Frick reasoned.

"And an important one," Naoise said with a touch of pride.

"I'm sorry you said you needed our help," Virginia said. "What for?"

Naoise nodded. "In the center of our island, there used to be an apple tree that grew golden apples for our food."

"What happened to it?" Morgan Le Fey asked.

Naoise shook his head and frowned. "We do not know. The tree is still there, but it no longer grow golden apples. We pray for release so that we do not go hungry."

The four looked from one to the other. "Don't worry, we'll help you," Virginia said.

"Such a soft touch," Wolf said. "That's what I love about you."

The four walked to the center of the island and looked around. There was a ring of trees that were all empty. Even though it felt like spring, no leaves or plants grew on them. The four inspected the trees until Morgan's ears perked up. "Did any of you hear that?" she asked.

Her three friends listened but then shook her head. "No," Virginia said. "I don't think so."

"I didn't hear anything," Wolf said.

"What did it sound like love?" Frick asked.

Morgan looked around confused listening for the sound but was now gone. "It sounded like hissing.You'll think I'm mad, but it sounded like a large sna-!" but that was as far as she got, for she fell down a large hole screaming!

Frick, Wolf, and Virginia ran to the edge of the hole. Morgan had fallen on her back. "Are you allright, Morgan?" Frick asked.

Morgan warily stood and inspected her body. There was a slight tear in her gown and she was slightly shaken from her fall, but otherwise she was okay. "I think so," she said. "But I will feel a lot better when I am out of this hole." Without waiting for another word, Wolf grabbed hold of Frick and led the gnome down to reach his bride.

Morgan grabbed Frick by his wrists as she heard a hiss. She let go in surprise and peered into the darkness to see one large yellow eye appearing at her. She gulped, backed into a wall, and raised her head. "Get me out of here," she whispered frantically. Frick once again leaned over to catch his wife, but as he was about to be lowered into the hole, the eye emerged from the darkness forming a huge fangs, a forked tongue, and gray scales. Hissing at Morgan was a large snake. She shivered feeling her body tighten in fear. "Umm, this is a bad time to mention that I am scared to death of snakes," Morgan called weakly to her friends.

"It's alright, Morgan just sneak away," Frick said calmly. The noblewoman was about to sneak away grabbing the side of the wall when the snake lunged at her She ducked down to avoid the snake's bite

"Something tells me that didn't work," she said.

From the top of the hole, Frick turned to Wolf. "Quickly, find me something sharp."

"Like what," Wolf said.

"I don't know, like a stick or something," Frick said. Wolf and Virginia ran off to find something that fit Frick's suggestion.

After a few minutes, but what seemed like a few hours to the gnome, the couple returned. Wolf had a fallen tree branch in his hand. "This was all we could find," Wolf said.

"That'll have to do," Frick replied. He then jumped down the hole, branch in hand.

Morgan who had her fill of creeping and leaping to get away from the snake sighed with relief. "Thank you," she said.

"Just stay behind me," the gnome yelled. Morgan stood behind her husband as Frick aimed his sword at the snake parrying and thrusting at it like a knight to a dragon. The snake then veered forwards to attack the gnome, but he propelled himself by the wall and used the branch as a shield. The snake then lunged forward and Frick jumped back and stepped away, but he got caught up in the snake's coils. The serpent then knocked his attacker to the ground and wrapped him in his body.

"Frick!" Morgan yelled. The branch fell out of Frick's hand at his wife's feet. Seizing her chance, Morgan picked up the branch and approached the snake. The snake lowered his body at her, Morgan then knelt down and the snake followed her. She could actually see herself reflecting in the big serpent's eye. She gripped the branch tightly and thrust it into the snake's eye! The snake hissed and yowled in pain, the branch caught in his eye! In it's fury, it banged against walls and on the hole shaking the earth in it's confusion. Morgan pried the branch from it's eye, then ran on top of the coils until she reached the top of the snake's head. She then aimed under the snake's head and shoved the branch into the creature's back. With a scream, the snake fell dead.

Morgan jumped off the body and then pulled her husband free from the snake's grip. Virginia and Wolf reached down and helped their friends out of the hole. Morgan and Frick sighed in relief and exhaustion.

"That was wonderful beloved," Frick said.

Morgan nodded and waved her hand in disdain. "For once it pays for Mordred to have kept pet snakes," she said sarcastically.

Virginia looked up from the pleasent scene in surprise. "Guys look!" The others followed the direction that she was pointing. All around them the barren trees began to grow green leaves and golden apples! The air was filled with the lovely scent of fruit growing.

"Safe to say our mission was accomplished," Wolf said. "Let's take these to Naoise."

When they lay the apples at the feet of the boar, Naoise smiled. "Thank you, you may have a branch of apples as a gift."

"Only a branch?" Virginia asked. "I mean, don't think I'm ungrateful or nothing but-"

"- The apples on the branch have the power to grow as many apples as are needed," the boar replied. " But take only what is needed, no more. Leaf Fall's castle is in the center of the river, now go and good luck!"

The four friends thanked Naoise as they left the island and sailed into the calm water.

Frick plucked an apple from the branch and then gave three apples to Wolf, Virginia, and Morgan. Each time he pulled an apple from the branch, another apple grew in it's place! The four sighed in amazement at the boar's gift! The apples tasted better than any apple that they ever had before and they tasted differently to each person. To Frick they tasted like sweet honey and necter. To Virginia they tasted like fancy cupcakes fresh from a bakery. To Wolf they tasted like a scrumptious small piece of lamb or steak. To Morgan they tasted like fine wine and berries like in Tintagel.

Virginia munched lightly on the apple and looked at the approaching water. "It seems like smooth sailing right now," she said. As soon as she spoke, a loud rumbling echoed through the river sending rocks falling to the water below. The four pushed the river away to get away from the falling rocks. "Spoke too soon," Virginia yelled. "Sounds like thunder."

"Or an earthquake!" Frick yelled.

"Keep maneuvering the boats!" Wolf said. The four grabbed the oars as the sound got louder and louder. The boat sailed quickly pushing past the waves that were created from the falling rocks.

Morgan squinted far ahead. "Why don't we try for that island over there, the one with the tall statue!"

"I see it," Wolf yelled. "Wait that's not a statue! It's moving!"

As the boat approached the island, the statue could be seen clearer and the closer they got to the statue, the more the waves rocked back and forth and the walls rumbled with the noise, until it was clear that the noise came from the statue. The being was a giant with gold skin and golden hair all the way down to his ankles. He sat on top of a mountain with his gargantuan hands in his knees. The travelers discovered that the sounds were the giant's moaning.

Wolf, Virginia, Morgan, and Frick rowed the boat directly under the giant's mountain. The closer they got, the boat threatened to tip over from the echoes. "I can imagine telling people in New York that I got killed by a crying giant," Virginia yelled as a large rock tumbled from the mountain onto the water below! A wave sprang knocking the boat over like a child's toy in a bathtub sending it and it's occupants to the shore. The quartet tumbled into each other as they fell onto the beach.

Frick caught his breath as he looked to his friends. "Are you three allright," he asked.

"I'm wet," Morgan said. "But other than that I'm alright."

"I could be better," Virginia said.

"Enjoyed the swin," Wolf quipped."You?"

Frick nodded. "Ler's give this titan of a gentleman a talking to or we will never continue our journey."

The friends then walked down a small narrow path to a green field guarded by two fences.

One fence had a flock of white sheep and the other had a flock of black. The sheep were

about the size of a grown man. "Oh my God," Virginia moaned. "It's Sheepzilla!"

Periodically, the giant picked up a sheep and moved it to the other fence and as he did the sheep changed color to match the others around them. Each time, the giant moaned sending the shockwaves throughout the walls.

"What is he doing?" Morgan asked.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Frick said. "Let's find out."

The four walked up to the fence and stood yelling to get the giant's attention. "Hey, we're down here!" But he paid him no mind. "Hello-," he then turned to his friends and wife. "Maybe he will hear us better if we all yell."

All four friends yelled to get the giant's attention. "Hey, Tall Man!" "We need your help!"  
"Paul Bunyan!" "Mr. Giant!" But still he couldn't hear them.

"He must be too tall to hear us," Virginia said. "Maybe we should just go."

"How far would we go with the Moaning Madman?" Morgan said sarcastically.

"Hey, where's he going?" Wolf said interrupting the women's conversation. They turned to see where he was pointing, at a retreating Frick walking up the hill.

"I'm alright," the gnome called to his friends. "I'll just have a talk with him. Wait there!"

"What is that gnome doing?" Wolf said in disbelief as Frick leaped over one of the fences and stood next to a white sheep.

"I hope not contemplating suicide," Morgan said biting her lip in worry but also shaking her head in disbelief at her husband's bravado.

Frick looked up as a shadow fell over the pen, like an eclipse just appeared even though the sky was clear. On top of the gnome, five large fingers wrapped themselves around the sheep and gnome. Frick choked in the giant's tight grasp, but moved upwards, and to the left. His ears popped in the high altitude, but Frick rather enjoyed the ride. Sort of like riding one of those metal contraptions that humans made called airplanes.

The giant's hand moved to the other pen on the left. He opened his closed fist and lay the sheep and gnome down on the other side. Next to Frick, the sheep turned black though Frick remained the same. The giant did not moan this time, instead just shook his head like he saw it coming. He was about to move a black sheep to the other side, when his eyes fell upon his visitor. He grabbed Frick in his hand and lifted him up so that he and the gnome could be face to face.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in such a loud booming voice that Frick was almost knocked off the giant's hand if he hadn't grabbed onto the giant's thumb for support. "Are you planning on stealing these sheep?" He asked in a tone that indicated he wish Frick did.

"No, sir, absolutely not," Frick said with a bow. "My name is Frick and my friends-those are my friends down there- are sailing to see Queen Leaf Fall when we landed on your island by mistake. We just require your help to move our boat." He nodded to where the boat had landed on the island, but in the force had been destroyed. _What's left of it_, the gnome thought to himself.

The giant's eyes drooped and his face fell "Oh I apologize, it was my fault that your boat crashed on my shore, but I was preoccupied."

"How so?" Frick asked.

The giant sighed. "Let me begin. My name is Tellitail, and I was given the duty to protect Queen Leaf Fall's sheep."

"So what's the matter?" Frick asked. "Lonely out here, no balls, no...uh incredibly large women to entertain?"

Tellitail shook his head. "No I am much too shy and serious for that sort of thing. I was to move the sheep from one pen to the other so they would change from black to white and back again. Her request is for her sheep to be all black and white, but none to be black or white. I have tried to move them from one side to the other and they are always the same color."

Frick tutted in sympathy. "Such a tremendous burden. How long have you been at it?"

"30 years," Tellitail sighed.

Frick tried not to betray his surprise. "Oh I...see. Perhaps I can help."

Tellitail waved his hand in disdain. "If you wish, I don't think that it will be of any help."

Frick looked down at the two gates and the grazing sheep. He watched as Tellitail put a black sheep to the other side as it changed to white. _All black and white, but none black or white_, he considered. "Can they leave the fenced areas?" he asked.

"No," Tellitail said. "They are only permitted to stay within the outside fence."

Frick traced the fence with his thumb and as he did, he noticed that his thumb covered the inside barrier between the two fences. Suddenly he had it!

"Tellitail, can the wall between the two sides be taken out," Frick asked.

"Yes, of course," Tellitail replied.

"Take it out," Frick answered.

"But-" the giant said.

"Just do it," Frick replied. Shrugging, Tellitail reached down and pulled out the inside wall that seperated the two sets of sheep. With no such division, the sheep excitedly ran to their fellow sheep and as they did, a change fell over them. Instead of being solid black and white, they grew black and white spots and stripes. Frick waved. "See they are black and white mixed and neither black nor white because they are not a solid color."

Tellitail smiled and yelled in triumph, sending some nearby rocks down to the water. Noticing this, the giant sat back and laughed a slight nervous laugh. "Anyway, thank you," he said relieved. "You have relieved my burden."

"Anything I can do to help," the gnome grinned. "Now could you put me next to my friends."

"Of course," Tellitail replied. He gently set Frick down next to Virginia, Wolf, and Morgan.

Frick introduced the gang to his new friend and explained the situation. He then told Tellitail about their journey and the problems with the boat.

"I am very sorry about the boat," Tellitail replied. "But I can help you. On the other side of this island is a ferryman who will take you across the river for ten gold coins. He will take you right to Queen Leaf Fall, for she is on the next island. But I should warn you: Whatever you do, do not allow the ferryman to trick you into taking or holding the oars. If you do, you will be stuck rowing the ferry for eterinity until another takes your place."

"We will, thank you," Frick said.

"And thank you my little friend," Tellitail answered.

Robyn followed closely on their trail. It had been a struggle coming up for air after the half-wolf had taken him by surprise. But he gasped as the sweet oxygen filled his lungs. Then he sniffed the air, the half-wolf and his friends had been there at least an hour ago. The ground was warm, even hot in some places for the hunter to put his feet on. But he paid them no heed. He sniffed his pursuits but another feeling caught him. Robyn felt his stomach rumbling. The exertion with the wolf hungered him. His acute senses caught the fragrance of apples. He walked to a meadow in a circle of trees. He felt his stomach rumble even further. He looked around to see if anyone watched him, then he reached he made a slight climb up the tree and grabbed three apples from the branches, then plucked four branches. He took a big bite from one of the apples and spat it out! The apple tasted rotten like a combination of molded bread or dried fruit. Infuriated, Robyn threw the apple on the ground. He tasted another one, but it was even worse! He took a bite out of each one but they all tasted horrible. Furious, the Hunter threw the apples on the ground and continued his search.

The gang walked to the edge of the giant's island. The air was thick with silence and mist filled the approaching twilight. The mist seemed to crowd into the travelers and blocked their vision. The earlier sweetness and fragrance was gone and replaced with a deep sadness and foreboding.

Frick and Wolf exchanged knowing glances and Wolf turned to his wife. "Virginia you may want to wait here."

Virginia resisted her husband's grasp. "What do you mean? No I am in this as much as you are."

"It's just Leaf Fall doesn't like outsiders from the 9 Kingdoms so near to her castle. So sometimes she puts up barriers to those who are outsiders. Those who aren't from the 9 Kingdoms and those who are not touched by magic will be affected."

Frick nodded. "Yes, Wolf is a native from here and I am a magical creature. Morgan, though would be vulnerable under normal circumstances, she has been under mine and Bluebeard's spells so long that she is immune."

Virginia blinked taken aback. "Oh so I get it. The weakest link gets to stay behind?"

Wolf reached to touch his wife's hand. "That's not it, my Wolf Girl."

Virginia drew back annoyed. "I appreciate your concern," she said sarcastically. "But I think I can take care of myself. I am not some hot house flower that you have to protect! I'm going!"

She then turned from her companions as if to say the conversation was over.

The four fell into a gloomy silence. Suddenly, Wolf's ears perked up. "Do you hear that?"

Frick was about to come back with a smart remark about wolves and their hearing, when he heard it too. It sounded like oars running along the water. "I guess that's our ride," the gnome said.

A boat appeared out of the mist as if from the air. It was smaller than the cruggah and a lot less ornate. In fact it was a small brown ferry with signs of wear on the sides, but no wear was more shown than on the driver. He carried the oars and rowed his back hunched over. His white beard hung to his ankles and was untrimmed. His face was careworn and lined and his eyes held a downcast expression. His robe though currently ragged and patched showed signs that it once was fine and royal.

"Ten gold coins are all you need to pass this shore," the ferryman said in a rusty voice hoarse from disuse. Frick, Morgan, Wolf, and Virginia searched their pockets and were able to come up with ten coins. Virginia gathered them and handed them to the man. "Thank you," he said in a flat voice. "Where are you headed?"

"Leaf Fall's castle," Frick replied.

"I will take you there," the man said. "Get in." Before anyone could make any objections, Virginia stormed onto the boat in front of them. Not wanting to say more to set the young woman off, Wolf, Frick, and Morgan walked in the boat without another word.

The man rowed the boat across the river without saying anything and neither did the companions. The air seemed to forbid frivolous discussions or any type of close friendliness that they earlier enjoyed.

The Ferryman stopped for a few minutes and wiped his brow. "It is a very difficult tiring journey. Would one of you please be kind and hold the oars while I rest my arms?"

Wolf was about to stand and offer his help, but Virginia held him back and shook her head. She fixed him a look and Wolf nodded remembering Tellitail's words about not taking the oars from the Ferryman. Wolf quickly sat down. The Ferryman moaned resigned, but continued rowing.

Virginia leaned over the side of the boat and looked at her reflection bobbing up and down the water.

She sighed thinking of her earlier fight with Wolf. She didn't mean to snap at him in that way. It was just she felt so edgy lately. She recalled the frightening dream/hallucination/vision that she had in the 5th Kingdom. Herself in that awful black gown holding her children over the roof and threatening to drop them. She could still hear Luna and Gray's frightened cries and her other self's words..._I am_ _you! _She also recalled the Dream Virginia's mocking words after she insisted that she would never harm her children... _But you have remember and you killed your own mother_! She didn't want to think about either of those times. They were too frightening to recall.

Thinking about that made Virginia think about her mother. If Virginia had these thoughts that her mother acted upon, did this make her any different than her? What made Christine's near murder of her so terrible and Virginia's actual murder of her mother so admirable? And what about her baby? Virginia could still hear her newborn's cries that night and their sudden stop as her breath was still. They weren't even able to give her a name and still... Virginia lowered her head and sobbed wondering about her fate. Inside wasn't Virginia the same as her mother?

Wolf put his hand on Virginia's shoulder to silently reassure her, but the young woman turned away without a word. Wolf was wonderful, but he can't know about these thoughts or about that night. It's not that he wouldn't understand, but she couldn't bear to see the shame in his eyes or his fear of her. She wouldn't reveal any of that no matter how much he asked.

It was better that way.

Virginia looked closely at her reflection. It seemed to change. Instead of the young woman with the soft brown hair and the wide blue eyes, she once again saw herself in that other form! The cold haughty woman willing to throw her own children over a building just to taunt her weaker self. _Weaker?_ Virginia started. _Where did that come from?_

The Dream Virginia stood in Snow White's castle, her beautiful alabaster face filled with such anger and hatred. She stood in front of one of her mother's old mirrors. Though Virginia could not hear what her vision was saying, she knew the chant by heart: _Mirror, Mirror on the wall. Who is the_ _fairest one of all?_

"No," She screamed. Virginia could hear Frick, Morgan, and Wolf move to her side and Wolf take her by the shoulders. She pushed them away in fury and reached over and splashed her hand in the water removing the reflection from her eyes. After a few minutes when her friends were convinced that she was well, she felt them moving away from her, though Wolf stayed close by.

_Damnit, why doesn't that wolf just leave me alone?_ Virginia thought to herself. She shook her head. What possessed her to think that of her husband?

_You thought it yourself,_ a voice seemed to say inside her head.

Virginia looked around to her companions. Who had said that? Wolf stayed watch over Virginia but didn't say anything. Frick and Morgan seemed to be locked in their own private conversation. They laughed and she slapped him lightly and then they kissed. It wasn't either of them. The Ferryman was still rowing, but he gave Virginia a stony glare as though he were contemplating something. It wasn't him. Besides the voice was female and somehow seemed oddly familiar, though Virginia couldn't place from where. Was she insane? Was she going mad?

The voice continued. _You destroyed that image, but you will never destroy who you really are what you were born to become. _

Virginia shook her head but the voice spoke once more. _Come to me. You harbour such pain_.

_Come to me and I can make it all go away._

Virginia covered her ears trying to block out the voice but still it called to her. She shook her head

furiously willing to do anything to block out this awful siren song.

"VIRGINIA!" Wolf's yell interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and saw The Ferryman approach her in a blind fury. He screamed in rage his oars held over his head. Virginia wasn't sure whether he was going to force her to take the oars or hit her over the head with them. She didn't want to wait to find out. Virginia reared up her feet and when the Ferryman stood over her, she kicked him to the side knocking him into the water, oars still in hand.

Virginia sighed with relief but it didn't last long. the force of the Ferryman's fall knocked the boat over and the four friends plunged into the water.

They weren't far from the shore, so they didn't have to far to swim. The four waded to the shore and caught their breath. "You know I'm beginning to sense a pattern in the boats we ride," Frick said.

"At least we landed in the right place," Wolf said and pointed ahead. In front of them was a beautiful silver and gold castle. The silver turrets gleamed in the sunlight and the golden bricks and mortar were almost blinding to the travelers. On top of the castle waved the solid green flag of the Seventh Kingdom. It waved briskly seeming to welcome the visitors to it's castle.

"I guess this is the place," Virginia said dully. "We better get going."

Wolf followed Virginia to the castle. He once again reached for his wife and again she pulled away. There was something torturing her that she couldn't tell him about. There was something going on that she didn't want him to know and it was causing her to lash out at him. He wanted to help her with whatever was troubling her, but she wouldn't have any of it. Wolf sensed that his wife was in some sort of emotional distress, but he didn't know what it was and that worried him. Wolf looked to Morgan and Frick who were trailing behind them. They walked hand in hand, laughing, and talking softly. Frick whispered something in his wife's ear which caused her to laugh harder. No doubt this journey was bringing Frick and Morgan Le Fey closer together, but it was driving Wolf and Virginia further apart.


End file.
